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Campus Security/Emergency Response Plans

The University of Mount Saint Vincent Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures establishes policies, procedures, and an organizational structure that will provide for the efficient, strategic management of major emergencies which occur at any of the campuses associated with the University of Mount Saint Vincent.

Responding and Reporting an Emergency
I. The campus maintains several 24-hour emergency call boxes, which can be used to contact and speak with campus safety and security personnel immediately. A supervisor will respond at once to your location. These boxes are located at:

  1. Villa Parking Lot (west side)
  2. Main entrance of Seton Hall
  3. Main entrance of Alumnae/Mastronardi Hall
  4. Main entrance of Spellman Hall
  5. Main entrance of Marillac Hall
  6. Main entrance of the Peter Jay Sharp Athletic and Recreation Center
  7. 261 Street at the rear of the Science Hall
  8. 261 Street at the entrance to the Marillac Parking Lot
  9. Lobby of Founders Hall

II. To facilitate a fast response, students should contact campus safety and security immediately at (718) 405-3434 or (718) 548-2116 if police, fire department, EMS, or other emergency departments are needed on campus. Security staff will then assist by making the call and directing the responding units to the appropriate campus location.

III. If you must call 911 directly, make sure to give the proper address as 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. 10471, University of Mount Saint Vincent. The cross street is West 263rd Street and Riverdale Avenue. Notify campus safety and security as soon as you have made your call to 911.

IV. In addition to reporting a crime, you should notify campus safety and security if you are suspicious that criminal activity has taken place, or if you have observed a suspicious act, person, or vehicle on campus or in the immediate area.

V. When contacting campus safety and security, please try to provide a complete and accurate description of the individuals or vehicles involved, and the specific location of the incident. If you leave your name and number, every attempt will be made to inform you of the outcome. Calls of this nature will be given the highest possible priority.

VI. Any problem that occurs when notifying campus safety and security, or in response to a call, should be brought to the attention of the director for campus safety and security as soon as possible.

VII. The federal Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act mandates that statistics on campus crime be compiled and made available to students and other interested parties. Prompt reporting of criminal activity allows for correct and up-to-date reporting to the entire community and assists in instituting preventative measures.

VIII. The Office of Campus Safety and Security is not automatically informed of information reported to the city police, so a separate notification is important. While security staff will gladly assist in reporting alleged incidents to the police, they cannot always do so without the student’s authorization.

Campus Safety and Security
I. The University of Mount Saint Vincent is in the North Riverdale neighborhood of New York City. We have a 24-hour security booth at the entrance of the campus, and we provide a safe and comfortable environment for our resident and commuter students. Riverdale offers students the best of both worlds—we are just minutes from midtown Manhattan, on a scenic 70-acre campus of rolling lawns and wooded hills overlooking the Hudson River.

II. The safety and security of all people, property, and programs on the campus of the University of Mount Saint Vincent is the top priority of the Office of Campus Safety and Security.

III. Campus safety and security coordinates this effort with various campus offices to provide a safe and healthy environment for all members of the College community so they can feel secure and free to pursue their academic activities within a safe and civil environment.

For more information, please call (718) 405-3722, email security@umsv.edu, or visit the campus safety and security page.

Emergency Response Procedures
I. In the event of a significant emergency or situation, that endangers the health or safety of the campus community, the director for campus safety and security or a designee via the Send Word Now notification system will issue a timely warning to the community.

II. Time permitting, the notification will be made after a conferral with the executive staff and emergency personnel. The content of the notification will take into account its effect upon the rendering of assistance to victims and the efforts to mitigate the emergency. The responding security personnel will make the initial assessment of the situation, notify, and assist the proper emergency authorities, and notify the director for campus safety and security. The Emergency Response Plan is posted on the College’s website.

Evacuation/Relocations Procedures
I. If the evacuation of a building or buildings is necessary, it will be directed and coordinated by the incident commander (director for campus safety and security or the initial responding campus security supervisor) in cooperation with the responding emergency personnel.

II. Send Word Now messages will provide specific directions.

  1. If a campus-wide evacuation is deemed necessary, the 261 Street emergency exit will be opened, and the evacuees will be directed by either campus security or first responders to one of two short-term relocation sites:
  • The Hebrew Home at Riverdale by RiverSpring Living (located at 5901 Palisade Avenue) or Saint Margaret of Cortona School (located at 452 W. 260 Street).
  • A communications center will be established at either the Peter Jay Sharp Athletic and Recreation Center in the offices of the director for athletics, the Elizabeth Seton Library, or the downstairs of Hudson Heights.
  • Everyone will remain at the relocation site until it is deemed safe by the director of campus safety and security after conferral with the appropriate responding emergency personnel.

Send Word Now Alert Communication
I. The College has an emergency notification system in place, it’s called: Send Word Now.

II. This automatic notification program has proven very helpful in campus situations across the country when emergency messages were needed. Employees and students alike are required to enroll and provide their personal information (home and cell phone numbers, personal email addresses, etc.) In case of the need for emergency notification, a message will come from: “Mount Saint Vincent Alert System [swnalert@sendwordnow.com]”

For more information, please contact the Computer Services Help Desk at (718) 405-3340 or learn more.

Shelter-In-Place Policy and Procedure
I. A Shelter-in-Place drill is conducted during the Fall and Spring semesters. Prior notice is given to the Mount community via the College broadcast email system and Send Word Now. When an order to Shelter-in-Place is issued by the director of campus safety and security the following directions are to be adhered to:

  1. Must stop class, work, and business operations.
  2. Stay within a secured room and away from windows and doors.
  3. Close window blinds and turn off lights, televisions, stereos, etc.
  4. Barricade door with furniture if possible.
  5. Remain quiet, place cell phones on silent mode.
  6. If outdoors, get indoors.
  7. Remain sheltered-in-place until directed by first responders and/or campus security.
  8. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be prevented from entering the campus.