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Sonoma State University
Housing Services
1801 East Cotati Ave.
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Tele: (707) 664-2541
Fax: (707) 664-4158

Emergencies and Campus Safety

In case of an emergency call Police Services at (707) 664-2143.

The University maintains an emergency information hotline for campust status updates in case of campus wide emergencies, i.e. flooding, earthquake, fire, etc.
That phone number is (888) 533-5388.

A Message from the Police Chief...

On behalf of the staff of Police and Parking Services, I would like to welcome you to Sonoma State University. Police and Parking Services, located on the south side of Verdot Village, provides 24 hours a day police protection for the campus community. Sonoma State University Police Officers are vested with full law enforcement powers and responsibilities, identical to the local police and sheriff in your home community. The officers are trained at a regional police academy and receive additional in-service and specialized training in first aid, CPR, firearms use, defensive tactics, legal updates, evidence gathering, traffic accident investigation, etc. We offer an array of services that include responding to emergencies, traffic accidents, conducting investigations, and the Community Oriented Partnership Policing Strategy (COPPS).

Police Officers actively participates in Community Oriented Partnership Policing Strategies (COPPS), whereby Officers are trained in specialized areas of expertise and are assigned to specific areas of campus. These officers serve as liaisons and conduct monthly presentations on sexual assault education & prevention, substance abuse education & prevention, defensive driving, CPR & first aid, safety & crime prevention, building & office security, alarm systems and bicycle patrol. Town Hall Meetings are conducted to solicit input from the campus community on how we can better serve you. Community Service Specialists are non-sworn uniformed personnel assigned specifically to patrol residential areas.

At Sonoma State University the safety of our community members is always at the top of our agenda. A truly safe campus can be achieved only through the cooperation of all students, faculty and staff. There are many people contributing to the safety and security of the SSU campus. The majority of crimes on campus are crimes of opportunity. This includes theft of bicycles, backpacks, computers, books and parking decals. The willingness of students, faculty and staff to secure their property and to report suspicious activity is essential to the prevention of these thefts. Here are some additional crime prevention tips:

Community Notifications

Crime statistics can be found on the web at www.sonoma.edu/ps. In addition to publishing an annual security report, the SSU Police Services informs the campus community about campus crime in a number of ways, including the following:

Parking

In addition to law enforcement services, we are also responsible for managing the campus parking program and the University Emergency Response Plan. The parking policy can be found at http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/parking.html. A few items to keep in mind are that parking in the residence hall areas is restricted 24-hours a day to "RH" decals, and that University parking regulations are strictly enforced. There are nearly 5,100 parking spaces on campus. It is important that community members familiarize themselves with parking regulations, where to park and required decals for the various types of lots.

Emergency Preparedness

The University highly recommends that each campus resident bring their own emergency survival kit with them when they move into the Residential Community. This emergency kit should include three days worth of supplies, such as water and food, basic first aid supplies, and any special need items. For more information on making an emergency kit and preparing yourself for 3 days, review our 3 Days checklist and visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website at http://www.ready.gov.

Students with disabilities are encouraged to discuss their specific needs with their Residential Life Coordinator to prepare a plan regarding evacuation in the event of a campus emergency.

The campus performs periodic evacuation drills and training on emergency response. The department has maintained very positive working relations with Housing Services and the Office of Residence Life to ensure that we are working in concert on many programs.

Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs), Office of Residential Life staff, and Police Officers are trained in emergency evacuation procedures and responding to fire emergencies. In case of a fire, residents must remember to vacate the premises and summon assistance immediately. Fire alarm apparatus are centrally monitored and polled for potential trouble signals or devices being "offline," etc. If a major emergency should strike, residents are directed to a residence evacuation area first, then to a campus "safe zone" for accountability and further instructions.

Important Contact Numbers