Category: Campus Safety

With winter break approaching, make sure to not leave any opportunities for the Grinch to sneak in and cause mischief. Please take a few moments to follow these important fire and safety tips before you leave.

• Ensure that all electrical decorations are turned off and unplugged. Verify that fire extinguishers are accessible and that emergency exits are clear of any obstructions.
• Tidy up your workspaces and common areas and dispose of any perishable items from refrigerators.

Facilities Services thanks the campus for their help and wishes everyone a restful winter break.

Holiday safety is an issue that greatest from late November to mid-January when faculty, staff and students gather for holiday parties and decorate their offices or rooms. Decorating is one of the best ways to get into the holiday spirit, but fires and injuries caused by improper use of electrical decorations such as lights or the use of candles or other open flame items cause major injury for many people each year. Read below for precautions to ensure we all remain safe and injury-free throughout the season.

Decorations of all types shall be either non-combustible or adequately treated to render them fire resistant. Decorations are allowed 30 calendar days before the holiday or event. All decorations are expected to be removed no later than seven calendar days after the holiday or event. Artificial wrapped presents kept on the floor are limited to lobby areas. Keep wrapping paper or artwork to a minimum (i.e., less than 10% of the wall). The use of trees or wreaths shall be restricted to artificial types containing a UL or FM tag or seal indicating satisfactory fire resistance. No live or cut trees or wreaths are allowed. Do not use strings of lights on metal trees.

Streamers, garlands, lights and other decorations shall not run along or across halls, obstruct or restrict aisles, passageways or corridors; be hung from smoke detectors or sprinkler heads; or obstruct exits signs, fire extinguishers or other fire equipment. Holiday lighting strings must be double insulated or grounded and have an approval rating from either UL or FM. A maximum of three strands may be connected together. No extension cords shall be used to light strings of lights, only a circuit breaker protected power strip shall be used and cords shall not run under rugs or doors.

Decorations may not be attached to doors, walls or painted surfaces by any methods which would damage the surface or leave behind adhesive residue (i.e., low adhesive masking tape is preferred). Any costs associated with damage caused by installation or removal of decorative materials will be the responsibility of the department.

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:

• Latex balloons, silly-string, bubbles, glitter, confetti, rice, birdseed
• Fireworks (including sparklers) or weapons of any kind
• Live animals (except for those assisting individuals with disabilities)
• Any item with an open flame such as candles or incense
• Decorative materials may not be placed on fire doors, smoke doors, light fixtures, electrical equipment, electrical outlets, circuit breaker panels, etc.
• Cut trees, tree branches, pinecones, wreaths, mistletoe and live potted plants. Artificial trees, wreaths and other seasonal decorations must be fire/flame-retardant.

It is the department’s responsibility to save packaging material as proof to the fire marshal that decorative materials have received flame-retardant treatment.

The following list of materials may not be used for decorations under any circumstances because they are inherently combustible or cannot be flame proofed:

• Bamboo
• Cedar trees or branches
• Corn stalks or shucks
• Cotton or sonfetti (loose, in large quantities)
• Dry moss or leaves
• Flammable powders or liquids
• Hay or straw (loose or baled)
• Paper streamers (serpentine)
• Plastic sheeting or pellets
• Sawdust
• Tumbleweeds
• Wood bark or shavings

Remember when you leave your office to turn off or unplug your decorative lights.

If you have questions, contact the WSU Fire & Safety Office at 316-978-5803 or 316-978-5531.

WSU Fire & Safety wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Faculty and staff can request a presentation from the University Police Department for their department, organization or classroom.

Police Chief Guy Schroeder, officers and other staff in UPD can sit down and discuss their duties on campus, the resources available to the campus community and answer questions from faculty, staff and students. UPD officials and staff are also open to hearing feedback or other concerns from campus.

Want to request a presentation? Email police@wichita.edu with the subject “Presentation request,” and staff with UPD will work with you on topics to cover and schedule a time and date.

UPD wants to remind the campus community that it is available 24/7, 365 days of the year. And remember: See Something? Say Something; call UPD at 316-978-3450 for emergencies while on campus.

The University Police Department wants to remind students about the appropriate channels for reaching emergency services while they’re on campus.

If you are on campus with a phone:

Calling UPD directly at 316-978-3450 is ideal for getting immediate assistance. Calling 911 will connect you with Sedgwick County and could result in longer wait times for responders.

If you are on campus without access to a phone:

Use one of the many emergency telephones across campus, which are identifiable by the blue light located atop them. These phones connect straight to UPD, and even if you are unable to talk to the dispatcher, an officer will be sent to the location. You can view the locations of all emergency phones on campus through the campus map (wichita.edu/map) under “Campus Safety.”

Other resources:

• Dial 988 or text 741-741 to be connected to the suicide and crisis lifeline.
• Submit a CARE Team report for potentially concerning, but non-emergency, behaviors.
• Counseling and Psychological Services provides mental health treatment to students. Learn more about Counseling Services.

Remember that the University Police Department is available 24/7 on campus during emergencies. If you see something, say something by calling UPD at 316-978-3450.

Add the number to your contacts list so you always have immediate access to emergency services.

The University Police Department is here to support students and ensure they feel safe and supported on campus.

Remember that the University Police Department is available 24/7 on campus during emergencies.

See something? Say something: Call UPD at 316-978-3450 for emergencies on campus. Calling 911 while on campus will connect you to Sedgwick County dispatch, which could result in delays from responders. Add 316-978-3450 to your contacts list so you always have immediate access to emergency services on campus.

If you are away from a phone, you can use one of the many emergency phones on campus, which you can find the locations of through the campus map (wichita.edu/map) under “Campus Safety.”

The University Police Department is here to support students and ensure they feel safe and supported on campus.

As cooler temperatures are arriving at Wichita State, Environmental Health and Safety reminds you that space heater are prohibited on campus. Please refer to University policies 11.20 Space Heaters and 11.27 HVAC System Standards for more information.

WSU Fire Safety and its vendor will conduct required annual fire alarm inspections and testing starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15. Testing will continue through the remainder of September or until all the fire alarm systems have been tested. Testing for most buildings will be done during the evening and overnight hours. There is no schedule of when a building will be tested.

Every effort will be made to not disrupt any business or classes however the fire alarm system could go off. Unless told otherwise by Fire Safety, follow your evacuation procedures and do not re-enter the building until you are told you can do so.

Any questions can be emailed to Scott Murray at scott.murray@wichita.edu and Dennis Moore at dennis.moore@wichita.edu.

Wichita State University is committed to the safety of its campus community and provides fire safety resources to help Shockers stay safe on and off campus.

Learn more and find resources on how to stay safe on the Fire & Safety Office webpage, including information on:

• Working with open flames, heat or sparks
• Proper use of extension cords
• Restrictions for potentially dangerous decorations
• Proper use of fireworks and other pyrotechnics
• WSU’s commitment to a tobacco free campus
• How to use fire extinguishers in the case of an emergency
• Filling out a permit to host a grilling activity
• The prohibition on the use of portable space heaters
• The potential fire hazards of battery powered mobility devices
• General advice on fire safety off campus
• Keeping corridors free of storage and equipment for emergency evacuations

For more information or questions, contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Last night Wichita State Police officers were able to investigate and clear a non-credible bomb threat within a few short hours, restoring campus to normal operations.

The call indicated the presence of an explosive device at Wallace Hall and the 21st Street Starbucks. While police quickly suspected the threat was not real, immediate action was taken by our emergency response team, in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, to ensure that there was no credible danger to our community.

The WSU campus community was alerted of the reported threat through the RAVE system. All individuals were asked to evacuate and avoid these areas.

The all-clear was issued at 12:45 a.m. on Friday morning.

As operations return to normal, now is a good reminder that false threats like these are a crime and tax the time and resources of many people, including our first responders.

The safety and security of our campus community are of the utmost priority. Though there is no threat to campus, diligence is always important.

Remember, if you see something, say something by calling 978-3450 or 911.