Safety & Security in University Housing

Fire Safety

Fire drills and other safety information and programs will be conducted in conjunction with University Police, Utah Division of Risk Management, and the University Fire Marshal.

Each residence hall room and apartment is equipped with a smoke detector. These are not to be tampered with and will be maintained by the University Housing staff. If your smoke detector goes off for any reason, evacuate immediately and call 911. Please also inform staff of the alarm and UH will work with the Cedar City Fire Department and SUU Police to clear the building for reentry.

When the fire alarm sounds in a residence hall, all residents, guests and staff are to evacuate to designated evacuation points. Should there be an actual fire, Resident Assistants will check floor rosters to account for residents. University Housing staff will wait until responding emergency crews provide an all-clear before building reentry is allowed.

Resident Assistants and University Housing employees are provided annual training on the location and uses of emergency equipment including fire extinguishers. Resident Assistants discuss with residents the need to evacuate when the fire alarm sounds, where to evacuate (each building has designated area), and how to check in.

Evacuation Routes

Illuminated exit signs are posted throughout the residence halls and any damage to the same should be reported immediately to an UH staff member. These signs clearly mark the egress, or exit, path in case of emergency evacuation. Further information may be obtained from the UH office and may be posted at the beginning of the year by your RA. Failure to comply with a sounding fire alarm or the request of any UH or University staff member to evacuate your room or residence hall may result in eviction.

Each residence hall room, suite and apartment has an emergency evacuation route posted on the inside of the door. These are to be followed carefully. Please note the emergency assembly area noted on the emergency evacuation route.

Personal and Community Safety

As the safety and security of our community is of primary concern, it is vital that each resident take it upon himself or herself to ensure that she or he is safe and secure and by extension, those within his or her sphere of influence is similarly safe and secure. Behaviors such as ensuring that building entrance and exit doors are always securely closed behind you and that you do not open the door for a person you do not know are always helpful. Being certain to always have your University identification and keys with you means that you’ll always have access to a secure area and be able to prove who you are to a University staff member in case of emergency.

You should always try to travel in groups or with a friend when on campus or around the residence halls. Remain in lighted areas whenever possible and stay alert. In this day and age students walk around campus while talking or texting on their cell phone, listening to their mp3 player, and much, much more. Please think of walking around campus as you might think of driving on a busy street or highway. Minimizing distractions and being aware of your surroundings is always the best way to prevent situations that will compromise your safety.

Public Safety in the Residence Halls

In an effort to make the residence halls as safe as possible, SUU Police provides regular patrols of the halls and will escort any resident back to their room that makes a request. Police Officers and Campus Safety Guards are here to assist and protect our students. Compliance with their requests is vital to a safe and secure community.

Online Representations of Yourself and Others

Be very cognizant of how you represent yourself online. This is especially important when using social networking sites such as Facebook. While these sites can be extremely helpful for finding and keeping in touch with friends, they also can lead to dangerous interactions with people you do not know well. UH encourages you to be careful to not post personal information including addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases photos. Please contact your RA or Coordinator if you ever have a concern about your safety or that of someone else as it relates to activity on one of these sites.

Theft Prevention

It is always a good to record the serial numbers of any valuable piece of equipment you bring to school with you. This is a good practice for your computer, cell phone, bicycle, stereo, television, and mp3 player. Our suggestion is that you make a master list of all these serial numbers and send one home to your parents or family for safe keeping and keep at least one copy in a safe place in your residence hall room or apartment. You will greatly increase the chances that University Police will be able to return any stolen property located through investigation if you keep such a record.

Missing Student Notification

This section applies only to students residing in on-campus student housing facilities.

When a student has been missing for twenty- four hours, students, employees, and other individuals should make a report to Southern Utah University Police (435) 586-7793 or to University Housing (435) 586-7966. Any person to whom a missing student report is made shall immediately refer the matter to SUU Police.

Students who reside in on-campus student housing facilities have the option of identifying a contact person (or persons) whom the University shall notify within twenty-four hours of a determination that the student is missing, if the student has been determined missing by SUU Police. Students residing in on-campus student housing may register this information during the check-in process at University Housing. This contact information will be registered confidentially and will be accessible only to authorized campus officials. The information may not be disclosed outside the University except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation.

If a student is under 18 years of age and is not emancipated, in addition to notifying any contact person designated by the student, the University is required by law to notify a custodial parent or guardian within twenty-four hours of the determination that the student is missing.

The University will notify the surrounding law enforcement agencies when any student who lives in on- campus student housing has been determined to be missing for 24 hours.