Campus Safety FAQs

Where does my 911 call go?
If you call from a campus phone, your call goes to ASU Police who will respond or contact the appropriate agency. They will know where you are by the phone location (exception: Downtown Phoenix Campus goes directly to Phoenix Police/Fire).

If you call 911 from a cell phone, you will get a local 911 operator. You will need to give them your exact location (City with physical address or at least cross streets).

I’ve heard a lot about issues of campus safety recently. How do I know what is threatening behavior?
To assist the campus community in making such a determination, resources have been developed to help identify the types of behaviors that constitute threatening and/or violent behavior. They can be found at the following link: http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/safety/index.htm. Additionally, the University has a Campus Safety and Compliance Hotline is 877.SUN.DEVL (877.786.3385) that anyone can use http://www.asu.edu/uagc/audit/hotline.html.

There is a student who is being disruptive in my classroom. What can I do about it?
If a student is exhibiting disruptive behavior in the classroom, ASU has a policy that allows an instructor to remove a student for disruptive behavior. That policy and information can be found at http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/usi/usi201-10.html.

What do I do if I read something disturbing or upsetting in a class assignment, email, or blog?
If you are concerned about your immediate safety, call the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456 or 911 (in an emergency). If you would like more information about early warning signs of threatening and/or aggressive behavior, follow this link: www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/safety/signs.html. None of the warning signs alone are sufficient for predicting aggression and/or violence. When presented in combination, they indicate the need for documentation and consultation.

I know that ASU is a “weapons-free zone.” What counts as a weapon?
The ASU Weapons Policy provides guidelines on what constitutes a weapon: http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/dps/dps201-05.html. If you are not sure contact the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456. For emergencies, call 911. You should be aware that ASU has a mandatory reporting requirement that any person having a weapon on campus must be reported to the ASU Police Department.

If there is a campus-wide emergency, how will I be notified about what to do?
Depending on the situation, there are a variety of ways that the campus community would be notified including mass email, public address systems, door-to-door police notification and CENS (which sends a recorded message to all landline phones and offices on campus). The University Technology Office is also currently looking at a system that would include voice, and text messages to contact staff, faculty and students through their personal cell phones.

I have a gut feeling that something is wrong with someone I know but I don’t know if I should be worried about his/her behavior. Who can I talk to about my concerns about this person?
You can call the staff at the counseling center or Judicial Affairs Office on your campus to consult about your concerns and how you can respond to the person and determining the best course of action. If you are concerned about your immediate safety call the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456 or 911 (in an emergency).

If you would like more information about early warning signs of threatening and/or aggressive behavior, please follow this link: www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/safety/signs.html.

A co-worker has made comments threatening to harm another employee in my unit. What should I do with this information?
If you believe that any act of violence is imminent, call 911. If the threat is not imminent, please call either ASU Police (480.965.3456) or the Employee Assistance Office (480.965.2271). If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the ASU Campus Safety and Compliance Hotline (877.SUN.DEVL). If either ASU Police or the Employee Assistance Office determines that the behavior poses or has posed a serious threat to personal safety or to the welfare of the campus, the employee will not be permitted to return to campus until an appropriate threat assessment has been completed. Applicable university policies are SPP 814 http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/spp/spp814.html and ACD 204-09 http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd204-09.html. The Behavior Response Team (BRT) also has resources available for faculity and staff.

Are there any hazardous or potential hazardous operations on campus?
Yes, however, there are safety and security measures in place to minimize any exposures to anyone. If you are not given authorization to access those areas then any exposure is unlikely. It is asked of all faculty, staff, and students as well as visitors to always be aware of your surroundings. If you see something that does not appear safe, creates an unsafe condition/exposure or looks suspicious, please report it to EH&S at 480. 965.1823 or call ASU Police at 480.965.3456.

Do we have radiation materials on campus?
Yes, however, there are safety and security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access, limited to only those authorized. The exposure levels are less than 10 mrem per year to authorized access personnel at all campuses. It is highly unlikely of any exposure to anyone because of the safety and security measures in place and the limited quantities utilized for research.

What is a rem? What is the dose of radiation that someone can get at ASU?
The term rem stands for "Röntgen equivalent man” it is a unit of radiation dose. It is the measure of the biological effect of a radiation dose on humans. Legally ASU must keep doses for radiation workers below 5 rem/yr and all other people at ASU can receive 100 mrem/yr. A millirem (mrem) is one thousandth of a rem. However, exposures above background levels are unlikely to occur to anyone that is not authorized to work in the secured areas where low levels and low quantities of radiation exist.

Why do we have hazardous materials, radiation materials, or biological materials on campus?
Hazardous materials, radiation, biological materials, etc. are key components in many forms of research which are vital to improve many aspects of sustaining life and/or life enhancement. Universities typically have low amounts of hazardous materials to conduct research and provide academic instruction (i.e., chemicals, radiological materials, biological materials, etc.). Radiological and biological areas are the most secured to prevent unauthorized access/exposure.

How do I know if radiation, biological or any hazardous material is being used in a lab or any area on campus?
All labs, storage areas, etc. that use any form of radiological, biological, or any other type of hazardous material are required to have the appropriate placards, markings, and other hazardous material identification to warn before entering such areas.

If I was injured during the course of my job, who should notify and where do I go for treatment?
If it is an emergency—always call 911. For non-life threatening injuries and illnesses, notify your supervisor to enlist the assistance of a co-worker. Campus Health Services is available to assist with medical treatment during business hours at each ASU campus: Tempe - Downtown - West - Polytechnic.

During non-business hours, treatment should be received at one of the clinics designated by Human Resources. The applicable policy for reporting the injury is EHS 115 Incident Reporting and Investigation at the following link: http://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/ehs/ehs115.html

Are ASU properties/facilities frequently inspected for safety? If so how often?
Yes, all facilities are scheduled to receive inspections on an annual basis by EH&S staff. However, in order to assure a safe working and learning environment, it is necessary for faculty, staff, students, and visitors to be aware of their surroundings and report any concerns or unsafe conditions to their supervisor and/or EH&S by calling 480.965.1823.

What should I do if I notice water damage or possible mold growth in my work area?
If there is a water intrusion in your work area, please contact your ASU Facilities Management department for immediate assistance. If you need additional assistance, contact ASU EH&S department for guidance in determination of the severity of water damaged building materials. If the situation has caused an indoor air quality (IAQ) concern, please visit the EH&S website for the ASU IAQ policy and IAQ EH&S questionnaire http://www.asu.edu/uagc/EHS/ or call EH&S at 480.965.1823.

Does ASU offer fire and/or safety training?
Yes, EH&S provides fire safety training, special safety training, laboratory safety training, defensive driver training, and many others that can be reviewed on the following EH&S website: http://www.asu.edu/uagc/EHS/envirohealthsafety.htm.

What should I do if I discover a hazardous material incident/spill or an abandoned chemical or other hazardous package on campus e.g., a discarded car battery?
Call ASU Police at 480.965.3456 anytime or if it is during normal business hours 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday call Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) at 480.965.1823.