April 2, 2009
Violence prevention sessions offered through spring quarter
Keeping the UW campus and community safe and informed of dangers has never been more important — so the UW’s Violence Prevention and Response Program is offering more information sessions across campus in spring quarter. And they now include a new video about responding to sudden violence.
“Preventing violence is everyone’s responsibility,” said David Girts, manager of the Violence Prevention Response Program and a retired sergeant from the UW Police. “Early identification of situations that cause concern for safety allows the UW to then provide the resources so the situation doesn’t develop into something more dangerous.”
The sessions, endorsed by the UW Advisory Committee on Violence Prevention, focus on what the UW is doing to prevent violence, how to identify and report behaviors which might lead to violence, and how to respond during a violent incident. They’re open to all faculty, staff and students, and they’re free.
The information sessions will be held at the following times:
- noon – 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, T-739 Health Sciences.
- 3 – 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, 209A HUB.
- noon – 1 p.m., Thursday, May 7, 209A HUB.
- 4 – 5 p.m., Thursday, May 21, T-739 Health Sciences.
- 3 – 4 p.m., Tuesday, June 2, 209A HUB.
You can register online to attend a scheduled meeting, or you can call 206-685-SAFE (7233) and request that one be presented for your department or unit.
The sessions are part of the ongoing awareness campaign called SafeCampus, in which many campus units are partnering to raise awareness of violence prevention resources and reporting requirements.
Girts said that participants in some previous sessions asked for more specific information on what to do “in the rare case that violence is happening right in front of them.”
In response, he said, the sessions now include a 20-minute video titled Shots Fired: When Lightning Strikes, produced by the Spokane-based Center for Personal Protection. The film, according to the organization Web site, “provides the individual employee or student with critical guidance on how to recognize and survive an active shooter situation.” The organization has worked with several municipalities and universities, including Washington State University and the University of Oregon.
UWPD and SafeCampus stress that you should always dial 911 if you or others may be in immediate danger.
But the SafeCampus phone lines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for reporting nonurgent threats of violence and for referrals to UW counseling and/or safety resources. The numbers are:
- For the Seattle campus: 206-685-SAFE (206-685-7233)
- For the Bothell campus: 425-352-SAFE. (425-352-7233)
- For the Tacoma campus: 253-692-SAFE (253-692-7233)
Partnering with Human Resources and UW Police in this effort are Student Life, Academic Human Resources, UW Carelink, Community Standards & Students Conduct and the Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Information Service.
