In response to the recent mass school shooting at Michigan State University on top of the 600 and counting occurrences in the past year, safety has become an ever-growing topic when discussing college campus living.
With ETSU Public Safety developing their safety protocols including staff and student training, additional safety programs and monitoring campus streets with approximately 500 cameras, the university is always working on improving student living conditions in the terms of safety.
With programs such as Safe Voyage, no student is left without resources to use when feeling uneasy. Safe Voyage is a safety program that insures a safe walk home anywhere, anytime and in any situation for any student. From 8 p.m. to midnight, Monday to Friday through the fall and spring semester, Safe Voyage offers an accompanied walk by campus security personnel to a student’s car, class, dorm or anywhere else when they call (423)-914-5940. For a Safe Voyage at any other time, including winter and summer semesters, one should contact (423)-439-4480 for an escorted walk.
Sgt. Dreama Pullon, who works at ETSU’s Police Department deems the campus safe, also mentioned categories in which campus protocols may be lacking.
“It’s a large campus and there are a lot of places that are still unlit, so it was time for a new program for our students.” Pullon said in response to the development of Safe Voyage.
The security personnel is also strengthening their workforce, including additional in-depth and extensive training.
“Hopefully, in the next coming little bit, we’ll be able to offer a lot more training for everybody to put their minds at ease,” said Pullon. “In case something was to ever happen, they would know what to do automatically.”
Sgt. Pullon encourages students to use their resources, mentioning that no concern is too small.
“Use your instinct, trust your instinct, if something does not feel right to you, don’t hesitate to call us,” Pullon stated.
Deputy Chief of Public Safety Mark Tipton and member of Operations Lieutenant Wilson signified the importance of student resources. Pushing the “see something, say something” protocol, the Public Safety office has resources such as the safety ETSU app as well as an anonymous website where anyone can report an incident or a concern without showing their identity.
“Just make that one step to make that call,” Tipton said. “Don’t be scared, don’t be nervous that you’re going to bother the place, that’s what we’re here for.”
Regarding gun safety threats, Tipton expressed that staff and faculty advising has been implemented and the police personnel has pointed to where in a classroom or an office would be the best spot to hide for staff on campus.
“We work on our active shooter [scenario] very often,” said Tipton. “We do a lot of training, and we do it with Johnson City, Washington County.”
When it comes to staying out of harm’s way on campus, we must all do our part, the officers expressed. Chief Tipton and Lieutenant Wilson stated the importance of building chemistry between campus officers and students, saying that everyone should know at least one police officer on campus like how everyone knows the famous police dog, Pepper.
For more information on Public Safety and its resources, visit etsu.edu/dps/. For an emergency, dial 911 or 423-439-4480. To report a police nonemergency, call 423-439-4480. To reach the Department of Public Safety, call 423-439-6900.
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