Security - Eastern Wyoming College - Eastern Wyoming College

Prepared for EWC students, faculty, staff and prospective students in accordance with the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990.

Introduction

Many students and parents are concerned about the issue of personal safety on college campuses. Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) shares that concern and accepts its responsibility to employ security measures that ensure our students enjoy their time at EWC as free as possible from any threats to safety and well-being. Crime is a national problem that affects all communities and college campuses in our country, even those in a rural area such as Torrington and Douglas. Although Eastern has been fortunate in not experiencing a significant number of crimes, it would be less than honest to state that incidents have not taken place. To minimize the occurrence of such incidents, college administrators, competent residence life and physical plant staff members, the city and county law enforcement authorities, and the students themselves must work together to ensure that students and their possessions are protected as much as possible.

The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990

The Campus Security Act (1990, 1994) and the Jeanne Clery Act (1998) are federal laws that require colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses to students, employees, and prospective students. The Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) crime statistics for the Torrington Campus or the Douglas Campus may be found by clicking on the respective campus name. The EWC Crime Awareness and Campus Security policies, procedures, and statistics are available upon request in the EWC Dean of Student’s Office.

Information regarding registered sex offenders nationally is available through the U.S. Department of Justice – NSOPW website

Information regarding registered sex offenders in Wyoming is available through the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, Division of Criminal Investigations: Sex Offender Registration, http://wysors.dci.wyo.gov/

Student Demographic Information

Eastern Wyoming College district operations include campuses in Torrington and Douglas, Wyoming. Torrington is the administrative center and main campus of the district and Douglas functions as a branch campus. Enrollment is approximately 1600 credit students each semester with additional offerings in the community services and continuing education areas. Total head count credit enrollment includes course offerings in ten other rural communities. The Torrington campus enrolls more traditional full-time students than the other areas, which serves primarily non-traditional, part-time students.

Lighting/physical Plant Concerns

The Physical Plant Department maintains all college buildings and grounds with a concern for safety and security. Staff inspect campus facilities regularly; promptly making repairs affecting safety and security, and responding immediately to reports of potential safety and security hazards, such as broken windows and locks. The campus is well-lighted. Lighting surveys are conducted on a regular basis to ensure that lights are in proper working order.

Local Police Provide Campus Security

TORRINGTON CAMPUS

Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) maintains a close working relationship with both the Torrington Police Department and the Goshen County Sheriff’s Department. The Torrington Police (peace) Officers routinely patrol the streets and parking lots on campus as well as the residence hall areas. They respond to both routine and emergency calls, and provide the College with timely information relating to criminal activity in the community so that college employees and students may act to protect themselves and assist in crime prevention efforts. State certified peace officers from the Torrington Police Department, the Goshen County Sheriff’s Department and the Wyoming Highway Patrol have full authority to enforce Wyoming state statutes and local ordinances on the EWC Torrington campus. The EWC Board of Trustees and the Torrington Police Department cooperatively instituted a Campus Resource Officer (CRO) program which will enhance the quality of life on campus by providing safety and security, maintaining a high level of visibility around the campus, maintaining order and providing a range of general and emergency services. The Campus Resource Officer is a certified peace officer of the Torrington Police Department and has the authority to investigate alleged criminal offenses that occur on the EWC Torrington campus. The agreement for the CRO is the only written documentation that exists between EWC and the City of Torrington/Torrington Police Department with regards to campus law enforcement. No memoranda of understanding (MOU) exists between EWC and the Goshen County Sheriff’s Department or the Wyoming Highway Patrol regarding the investigation of alleged criminal offenses.

DOUGLAS CAMPUS

Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) maintains a close working relationship with the Douglas Police Department. The Douglas Police (peace) Officers routinely patrol the streets and parking lot(s) on and surrounding the campus. They respond to both routine and emergency calls, and provide the College with timely information relating to criminal activity in the community so that college employees and students may act to protect themselves and assist in crime prevention efforts. State certified peace officers from the Douglas Police Department, Converse County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Highway Patrol have full authority to enforce Wyoming state statutes and local ordinances on the EWC Douglas campus. No memoranda of understanding (MOU) exists between EWC and the Douglas Police Department, Converse County Sheriff’s Department or the Wyoming Highway Patrol regarding the investigation of alleged criminal offenses.

Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

The campus community will be immediately notified whenever there is confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees that occurs on the campus. Eastern Wyoming College will, without delay, and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the notification system, unless the notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist victims or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.

The process behind this notification is as follows:

Confirmation of Emergency: A significant emergency or dangerous situation may be confirmed in a number of ways. These include:

Anonymous notifications received at the EWC Information Center (bomb threats, etc.); or
Notifications received from officials at the city/county, state or national level(s) of an impending threat; or
Credible information received from a EWC employee, student or any individual of a pending threat that could be a significant emergency or dangerous situation.

Individuals to Notify: This information should be forwarded to any of the following individuals for appropriate action:

Vice President for Student Services / Telephone: 307-532-8257
Vice President for Financial Affairs / Telephone: 307-532-8218
Director of College Relations / Telephone: 307-532-8206
Campus Resource Officer / Telephone: 307-575-5982
Director of Physical Plant / Telephone: 307-532-8255
Associate Vice President for Outreach & Learning / Telephone: 307-358-2533 (Douglas Campus)
Douglas Campus Director / Telephone: 307-358-5622 (Douglas Campus)

Content of Notification: Campus employees and students will be contacted using 1) LancerAlert (EWC’s emergency notification system available through LancerNet; and/or 2) CodeRed (system operated in conjunction with the City of Torrington and Goshen County). The notification will include 1) a brief description of the perceived significant emergency; and 2) information for the recipient to use in determining his/her best course of action for protection in the emergency/situation.

Initiation of the Notification System: LancerAlert and CodeRed are both accessed via an online connection that are password protected. The appropriate campus administrator/notified individual will initiate the notification reading from a prepared script if time allows. Actual initiation of the notification can come from any of the following individuals:

Vice President for Student Services / Telephone: 307-532-8257
Vice President for Financial Affairs / Telephone: 307-532-8218
Director of College Relations / Telephone: 307-532-8206
Campus Resource Officer / Telephone: 307-575-5982
Director of Physical Plant / Telephone: 307-532-8255
Associate Vice President for Outreach & Learning / Telephone: 307-358-2533 (Douglas Campus)
Douglas Campus Director / Telephone: 307-358-5622 (Douglas Campus)

Disseminating Emergency Information to the Larger Community: In the case of a significant emergency or dangerous situation, information will be forwarded to the larger community (Torrington and the surrounding area) following the Crisis Communication Plan for Eastern Wyoming College.

Testing the Emergency Response: The EWC Emergency Response & Evacuation Procedures will be tested on an annual basis. This test will take place at least one time per calendar year and the documentation of the test exercise will be made available to the public. Documentation will include 1) a description of the exercise; 2) the date and time of the exercise; and 3) whether it was announced or unannounced.

Throughout the EWC Crime Awareness and Campus Security information, individuals are strongly encouraged to accurately and promptly report all crimes to campus officials, the Campus Resource Officer and the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Crimes in progress and other emergency situations in on-campus buildings can be reported directly to the Torrington police by picking up any campus phone and dialing 9-911 (contact the Douglas police by dialing 911), and then following up by contacting the Vice President for Student Services in the Student Services office located on the Torrington campus. Upon receipt of the call, the police dispatcher will initiate the appropriate emergency response. Telephones are accessible in all buildings during normal hours of operation. Seven 911 Emergency-Only telephones are located strategically along Torrington campus walk-ways, and dial directly to the Torrington police dispatch office.

Non-emergency situations should be reported to the Vice President for Student Services located in the Student Services office, (307) 532-8257, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The Student Services office serves as the student assistance and information center for the Torrington campus. The Vice President for Student Services and the staff are available to initiate crime reports, and to respond to questions or concerns regarding personal safety on campus. The Director of Residence Life may be contacted in Lancer Hall after regular working hours, (307) 532-8336.

If you are the victim of a crime and do not want to pursue action within EWC or the criminal justice system, you may still want to consider making a confidential report. With your permission, the Vice President for Student Services can file a report on the details of the incident without revealing your identity. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others. With such information, EWC can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving students, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant, and alert the campus community to potential danger. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the annual crime statistics for the institution. An employee of an institution whose official responsibilities include providing psychological counseling to members of the institution’s community and who is functioning within the scope of his/her license or certification are not considered to be a campus security authority and are not required to report crimes for inclusion into the annual disclosure of crime statistics. As a matter of course, they are encouraged, if and when they deem it appropriate, to inform persons being counseled of the procedures to report crimes on a voluntary basis for inclusion into the annual crime statistics.

Timely Warnings:

In the event that a situation arises, either on- or off-campus, that, in the judgment of the Vice President of Student Services or Campus Resource Officer, constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus-wide “timely warning” will be issued. The warning will be issued through the college e-mail system to faculty and staff, and on the EWC website at ewc.wy.edu, on electronic bulletin boards at the Information Center and Student Services, and in the student newspaper, Lancer Post, Depending on the particular circumstances of the crime, especially in all situations that could pose an immediate threat to the community and individuals, a copy of the notice will be posted in each residence hall, and at the front door of each on-campus classroom building. A broadcast message will also be sent to all telephones on campus. Anyone with information warranting a timely warning should report the circumstances to the Vice President of Student Services by phone at 307-532-8257, in person at the EWC Student Services Office; or to the Campus Resource Officer at 307-575-5982.

Through a cooperative program of the Wyoming Department of Education, EWC is a participant in the anonymous WeTip hotline at www.wetip.com or 1-800-78-CRIME, where students and community members are urged, if they have information about vandalism, theft, drugs, threats, weapons, or any other illegal activities to call this 24 hour hotline to report concerns. Callers will not be asked for their name and will remain anonymous. There is up to $1,000 reward for calls leading to a conviction.

Crime Awareness and Prevention Activities

Programs sponsored by community/campus organizations, residence life, college staff and local law enforcement personnel provide sessions each academic year on topics including personal safety awareness and security, domestic violence/sexual assault, the prevention of theft and vandalism, and alcohol and drug abuse. Information on safety and security issues is provided to students and employees regularly through bulletins, crime alerts, posters, brochures, and college and community newspapers.

College Access:

During business hours, EWC (excluding residence halls) will be open to students, parents, employees, contractors, guests, and invitees. During non-business hours access to all EWC facilities is by key, if issued, or by admittance via the Physical Plant staff. Over extended breaks, the doors of all halls will be secured around the clock. Some facilities may have individual hours which may vary at different times of the year. Examples are the Student Center, the Library, and the Learning Skills Lab. In these cases, the facilities will be secured according to schedules developed by the department responsible.

Security Personnel:

EWC does not employ a police staff; The Physical Plant staff, who work past regular business hours, have the authority to ask persons for identification and to determine whether individuals have lawful business at EWC. Criminal incidents are referred to the Campus Resource Officer or the local police department who have jurisdiction on the campus. Community members, students, faculty, staff, and guests are encouraged to report all crimes and public safety related incidents to local law enforcement, the Vice President for Student Services, and/or the Physical Plant staff in a timely manner.

Crime Prevention Programs:

Crime prevention programs and sexual assault prevention programs are offered on a continual basis. Specific programs designed to inform students and employees about campus security procedures and practices, and to encourage students and employees to be responsible for their own security and the security of others include:

Summer Pre-Registration programs for parents (2 times annually)

Orientation activities (1 time annually)

Residence Halls educational programming (2 times monthly during academic year)

Student Services educational programming (3 to 4 times each semester) & College Studies classes (every semester)

A common theme of all awareness and crime prevention programs is to encourage students and employees to be aware of their responsibilities for their own security and the security of others. In addition to seminars, information is disseminated to students and employees through crime prevention awareness packets, security alert posters, electronic displays, videos, and articles in college newspapers. When time is of the essence, information is released to the college community through security alerts posted prominently throughout campus, through e-mail messages to employees and through website notifications.

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response:

Eastern Wyoming College educates the student community about sexual assaults and date rape through freshman orientations each fall. These topics are also covered in the required HMDV 1000-College Studies course. The Goshen County Task Force on Family Violence and Sexual Assault offers sexual assault, education and information programs to college students and employees upon request. Educational programming and literature on date rape education, risk reduction and EWC response is available through Residence Life and other Student Services offices.

If you are a victim of a sexual assault at this institution, your first priority should be to get to a place of safety. You should then obtain necessary medical treatment. Student Services strongly advocates that a victim of sexual assault report the incident in a timely manner. Time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation. An assault should be reported directly to a Residence Life staff member, the Vice President for Student Services, or another college administrator. Filing a report will not obligate the victim to prosecute nor will it subject the victim to scrutiny or judgmental opinions from EWC employees. Filing a sexual assault report will:

Ensure that a victim of sexual assault receives the necessary medical treatment and tests.

Provide the opportunity for collection of evidence helpful in prosecution which cannot be obtained later (ideally a victim of sexual assault should not wash, douche, use the toilet, or change clothing prior to a medical/legal exam).

Assure the victim has access to free confidential counseling from counselors specifically trained in the area of sexual assault crisis intervention.

When a sexual assault victim contacts Eastern Wyoming College, the Torrington Police Department or Goshen County Sheriff’s Office will be notified as well. The victim of a sexual assault may choose for the investigation to be pursued through the criminal justice system, and Eastern Wyoming College, or only the latter. A college employee will guide the victim through the available options and support the victim in his or her decision. Various counseling options are available from the EWC Counseling/Testing Center and the Vice President for Student Services. Counseling and support services outside EWC can be obtained through the Goshen County Task Force on Family Violence and Sexual Assault and Peak Wellness.

Eastern Wyoming College ‘s Student Code of Conduct prohibits “Participating in any actual or threatened non-consensual sexual act” and outlines disciplinary proceedings, and guidelines for cases involving sexual misconduct. The accused and the victim will each be allowed to choose one person who has had no formal legal training to accompany them throughout the formal grievance procedure. Both the victim and accused will be informed of the outcome of the grievance procedure. A student found guilty of violating the EWC Student Code of Conduct could be criminally prosecuted in the state courts and may be suspended or expelled from the College for the first offense. Student victims have the option to change their academic and/or on-campus living situations after an alleged sexual assault if such changes are reasonably available.

The Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) crime statistics, policies, and procedures may be found on the website by clicking here. In accordance to the “Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act” of 2000, which amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act, the Jeanne Clery Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, EWC is providing a link to the information regarding registered sex offenders in Goshen County available through http://goshensheriff.org/SexOffenders/Default.asp and in Wyoming available through the http://attorneygeneral.state.wy.us/dci/so/so_registration.html .

The Eastern Wyoming College Board of Trustees has enacted a drug and alcohol policy which states that drugs and alcoholic beverages may not be present on campus or at college-sponsored activities. The policy states that the college may take disciplinary action for the following violations:

The possession, use, sale, or distribution of narcotics, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs for which the person does not have a prescription, on college premises or at college-sponsored activities.
The possession, use, sale, or distribution of alcoholic beverages on college premises or at college-sponsored activities.
Please refer to the alcohol/drug sections in the Student Code of Conduct and the “Chemical Abuse and Alcohol” policy for more detailed information on disciplinary measures related to illicit alcohol and drug use.

Prevention Programs:

EWC has a variety of methods to prevent the illicit use of drugs and abuse of alcohol by students and employees. The programs provide services related to drug use and abuse including dissemination of informational materials, educational programs, College Studies classes, counseling services, referrals and college disciplinary actions. The EWC registration statement provided to every student includes the alcohol and drug enforcement policies at EWC.

Wyoming Laws:

Illegal Possession: Any person under the age of 21 who has any alcoholic beverage in his or her possession or who is under the influence of alcohol is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Falsification of Identity: Any person under the age of 21 who attempts in any manner to purchase alcoholic or malt beverages or who falsifies any identification or uses any false identification in order to obtain alcoholic or malt beverages is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Driving While Under the Influence (DUI) – Under 21:

The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for person under 21 is .02% as opposed to a BAC of .08% for those of legal age. A .02% BAC would result from consuming any alcohol.

Consequences of a Misdemeanor: The consequences upon conviction for violating any of the misdemeanors listed above shall be imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of up to $750, or both. Minors convicted of DUI may have additional consequences.

Student and Employee Responsibilities

The cooperation and involvement of students and employees in a campus safety program is absolutely essential. Individuals must assume responsibility for their own personal safety and the security of their belongings. The following is a list of some simple, common sense precautions:

Avoid Being a Victim

Walk with others when possible; be especially cautious during evening hours; keep keys ready, use sidewalks and well-lit pathways; be careful about whom you let approach you when alone. Call 9-911 in an on-campus building, or utilize the Emergency-Only telephones outside on-campus if you notice something suspicious or believe yourself to be in danger.

Lock It Up

Use the locks on exterior building doors, individual rooms and offices, and vehicles; keep windows secured; store valuables out of sight. Weapons are not allowed on-campus.

Record All Serial Numbers

Maintain a list of serial numbers and descriptions for valuable property (cameras, stereos, bicycles, etc.) Items such as coats, books, CDs and cassettes without identifying numbers should be labeled. An engraver suitable for metal, plastic or wooden objects is available through Residence Life.

Be A Crime Stopper

Report all accidents, thefts or other criminal activities to the Torrington Police or the Vice President for Student Services as soon as possible. Help the Torrington Police do their job by cooperating when asked to provide a statement, sign a complaint, or testify in court. Stay calm and give accurate details when making calls for assistance. Be concerned for the safety and property of everyone.

On-campus Housing Security

Eastern Wyoming College takes pride in its efforts to ensure student safety. These efforts are summarized as follows:

Staffing:

The Residence Halls have adult housing staff members living in the buildings. Student Housing Staff (Resident Assistants and Residence Life work-study students) also reside in the building. Housing staff responsibilities include securing doors, observing activity in the facility and responding appropriately, reporting incidents and potential problems, reporting maintenance and safety concerns.

Procedures

Each Residence Hall has four exits. All exit doors are locked 24 hours a day. Residents are issued a key which allows them access to the main entrance as well as their assigned room.

Each Residence Halls has a duty station near the front door which enables housing staff to monitor residents and visitors in the building. This station is manned by Housing staff from 4 pm – 2 am, Sunday-Thursday, and from 6 pm – 2 am, Friday and Saturday. Housing staff are trained to enforce quiet hours and visitation hours. They make rounds of the building and respond to student requests. Visitors are required to sign-in and visitation hours end at 11 pm Sunday-Thursday nights, and at 2 am on Friday and Saturday nights. Residents are responsible for the conduct of their visitors.

During Fall and Spring orientation meetings all residence students are warned about the dangers of leaving their room doors unlocked and about exterior door security measures. Fire safety, fire alarm and tornado procedures, theft prevention, and domestic violence/sexual assault issues are also addressed.

Key Control

Student keys, as well as all campus door keys, utilize the Best lock system. Keys are not marked to indicate building or room number.

Missing Student Notification/Policy & Procedure

The Higher Education Act reauthorization, as approved by Congress and signed by the President, became effective on August 14, 2008. One of the changes included in this act was the new requirement that colleges/universities adopt a policy and procedure for reporting missing students. Any institution that maintains on-campus housing must establish, for students who reside in on-campus housing, a missing student notification policy and procedure. The policy and procedure is to be included in the Annual Security Report starting with the October, 2010 report.

POLICY

Titles of the persons or organizations that should receive a report that a student has been missing for 24 hours. *If the reporting person believes or has reason to believe that the person whom is missing is in danger of harm or the circumstances surrounding the person’s disappearance suggest that he/she did not depart willingly, the report may be made in less than 24 hours.

a.    Campus Resource Officer (CRO)

b.    Director of Residence Life

c.    Residence Life Coordinator

d.    All Resident Assistants

e.    Torrington Police Department

f.     Goshen County Sheriff’s Department

g.    Vice President for Student Services

h.    Director of Counseling

i.    President

j.    Director of Physical Plant

k.    Executive Assistant to the President

l.    The Coach of any College athletic team (in which the student participates)

m.   Vice President for Academic Services

n.    The Division Chair of the student’s academic department

o.    The Program Director of any academic program (in which the student participates)

p.    Instructors (of classes in which the student is enrolled)

q.    Director of College Relations

r.    Emergency Contact Person

Each student living in on-campus housing has the option to identify an emergency contact person to be notified if the student is determined to be missing. The contact information will be confidentially maintained and only authorized campus officials may have access to this information. This list will be maintained by the Director of Residence Life with a copy stored in the CRO Office.

All students, even if they have not registered a contact person, are to be made aware that local law enforcement will be notified that the student is missing.

The custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) of students under 18 years of age and not emancipated from their parent or guardian, and any other contact person will be notified within 24 hours. A list will be maintained in the residence hall.

All official missing student reports must be referred immediately to the Vice President for Student Services, the Campus Resource Officer and local law enforcement.

In the process of determining whether or not the student is missing, his/her cell phone will be called to see if any college official can make contact with the student

PROCEDURE

When a student who resides in on-campus housing has been determined to be missing for 24 hours, the following actions will take place:

Notify all individuals (in no particular order) identified in paragraph #1.

Housing staff will check their records to see if missing person has a vehicle. The Campus Resource Officer and/or Housing staff will immediately check residence hall parking lots and, once completed, a check of the entire campus will be completed to determine if the missing student’s vehicle is on campus.

The Director of Residence Life, Residence Life Coordinator and Resident Assistants will conduct a search of Eastern Hall and Lancer Hall knocking on all occupants doors to check if the person is there. All maintenance closets/power rooms etc., will also be searched.

The Campus Resource Officer and/or Director of Residence Life and/or Vice President for Student Services will notify local law enforcement and provide responding officers the following: i. Name of studentii. Photograph if possible/physical descriptioniii. Clothing worn when last seeniv. Where the person was last seen

After gathering such information as is available, including personally interviewing the person who made the initial report (if possible), the Campus Resource Officer and/or the Vice President for Student Services will conduct or cause to be conducted a search of the campus for the missing person. If the missing person holds an on- or off-campus job, his/her employer will be contacted to ascertain whether the person has been at work. Food Services will be contacted to determine the date and time of the last activity on the missing person’s account. The Eastern Hall / Lancer Hall video cameras will be checked to see when the last time the student entered and exited the hall. Others residing on the missing person’s floor in the residence hall will be interviewed, and all places where the missing person is known to frequent will be checked. The missing person’s family will be contacted and asked whether they are aware of the person’s whereabouts. Regardless of the findings, law enforcement will be notified.

Crime Statistics

You can access the Eastern Wyoming College crime statistics report directly from the Office of Postsecondary Education.

Fire Safety Systems:

Guardian III Residential Range Top Suppression (fire) Systems are installed on the kitchen ranges in the apartments occupied by the Director of Residence Life and the Residence Life Coordinator. This system is also on the ranges in the Eastern Hall and Lancer Hall public kitchen areas. These systems will activate to suppress fires that occur on the stove top.

Both Eastern and Lancer Halls have wet system fire sprinkler protection. Eastern Hall has a Notifier fire alarm system and Lancer Hall has an alarm from Edwards Systems. Both fire alarm systems call directly to the Torrington Police Department dispatch when an alarm is initiated.

Number of Fire Drills in Previous Year:

There were two fire drills conducted. One in the fall semester and one in the spring semester each year for both residence halls.

Policies on Portable Electrical Appliances, Smoking and Open Flames in Student Housing Facilities:

The following policies are outlined in the 2013/14 Resident Student Handbook which is given to each student upon move-in to a residence hall room:

Candles and Incense

Candles with wicks and incense are not allowed in on-campus housing because they present a fire hazard and may produce odors that disturb other residents. If the Housing Staff finds candles or incense in your room, he or she will immediately confiscate the items. They will be returned to you at the discretion of the Housing Director. Disciplinary action will occur.

Fire Alarm Systems and Equipment

The fire alarm system and firefighting equipment in on-campus housing facilities are for everyone’s protection. Tampering with firefighting equipment or setting off a false alarm not only makes the system ineffectual, but also endangers the lives of residents. Thus tampering with, removal or misuse of fire extinguishers, fire alarm pull stations, smoke detectors, fire evacuation route instructions, locked exterior doors, exit signs or other life safety equipment is prohibited by both housing policy and state law. It is a felony offense in Wyoming to tamper with emergency/safety equipment. Violations will be subject to disciplinary measures AND prosecution through the legal system.

Appliances/Cooking

Cooking is not allowed in student rooms, other areas of the building or on adjacent grounds where there is not a properly equipped kitchenette. The use of personal barbecues and hibachis is prohibited.

In on-campus housing facilities, care must be taken with the number of electrical appliances plugged into any one outlet. The electrical system is not designed to carry heavy loads of electrical equipment. For that reason and because of other safety concerns, open faced electrical or heating appliances such as hot plates, broilers, space heaters, power tools, etc. are prohibited.

If you are using several electrical items like computers, stereos, televisions, etc., we recommend that you provide a UA approved power strip with a built in circuit breaker.

Electrical Cords

Please use a UA protected surge protector instead of extension cords for the safety of your belongings and to help eliminate blown fuses and possible fires.

Fireworks

Setting off fireworks is a violation of Wyoming state law and housing policy. Possession of fireworks is a safety/fire hazard and is prohibited in on-campus housing facilities.

Flammables

Because of obvious fire hazard, highly flammable materials such as chemicals, gasoline, camping stove fuel, and charcoal starter are prohibited in on-campus housing.

Smoking is not permitted in any buildings on the EWC campus. This includes the Residence Halls and residents’ living quarters. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action.

Procedures for Student Housing Evacuation:

The following procedure is outlined in the 2013/14 Resident Student Handbook which is given to each student upon move-in to a residence hall room.

If a fire alarm sounds you should:

Put on a coat and hard-soled shoes quickly.

Take a towel with you to prevent smoke inhalation.

Close your windows.

Check your doorknob. If it is hot, do not open your door. If it is cool, exit cautiously and close your unlocked door. Be sure to take your keys with you.

Walk quickly and in an orderly manner to the nearest exit and away from the building.

DO NOT re-enter the building until you are told to do so by a staff member or a member of the fire department (even if the alarm is silenced).

If there is smoke or fire in the building, pull the nearest pull station and leave the building. While housing staff is partially responsible for evacuation, they are not trained firemen and will only act as long as they feel safe. You are your own best method of alarm and evacuation.

Policies for Fire Safety Education for Students, Faculty & Staff:

Emergency Procedures flipcharts are distributed to faculty and staff with information about responding to a fire emergency. Resident Assistants (RA’s) in Eastern and Lancer Hall review fire related training during RA training the week prior to the start of the Fall semester. This training includes a review of each residence hall’s fire suppression and notification systems, and the location and operation of fire extinguishers in each building.

Organizations/Individuals to Notify of Occurrence of a Fire:

The following individuals/ organizations at Eastern Wyoming College will receive a report that a fire has occurred in an on-campus student housing facility:

President – 307.532.8202

Vice President for Student Services – 307.532.8257

Vice President for Financial Affairs – 307.532.8218

Vice President for Academic Services –307.532.8261

Director of Residence Life – 307.532.8336

Director of College Relations – 307.532.8206

Plans for Future Improvements in Fire Safety:

Plans for the future improvement of fire safety include:

Scheduling and evaluation of at least one fire drill per semester in each on-campus student housing facility;

Holding at least one fire safety education inservice per semester in each on-campus student housing facility.

Regular distribution of fire training materials to faculty and staff at least once each academic year.

Annual updates made to the Emergency Procedures flipcharts for distribution to all faculty and staff.