September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month, and for the Division of Administration and Finance, it coincides with the official relaunch of the Stay Cougar S.A.F.E. website.
The acronym S.A.F.E stands for Safety, Awareness, Friendship, and Education, and the web site is a one-stop shop where the University of Houston community can find campus safety resources and how to utilize them when needed.
“It’s helpful because people don’t have to navigate and look for it and do searches – it’s all right there,” said University of Houston Police Seargeant Dina Padovan. “So, whatever you’re concerned about for safety, you can go right into that area on the website.”
Ginger Walker, director of Emergency Management, said the website benefits the entire campus community by allowing the community to prepare for emergencies.
“Preparedness is key,” said Walker. “Because if you can prepare and plan right now, it will make you more efficient later.”
Padovan said the Stay Cougar SAFE site reminds the campus community that the university has resources to keep the campus safe.
For Walker, a mother of college students, the site is precisely what she would want from her children’s colleges.
The information and resources available on the Stay Cougar S.A.F.E. include:
UH Go app
The UH Go app provides the campus community with safety features at the press of a button. The app has a quick access function to place a call to UHPD. Additionally, UHPD can track a user’s location if the user is on campus and has their location services turned on.
CERT Training
The University of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management conducts Community Emergency Response Team Trainings in the fall and spring semesters. These trainings allow the campus community to get training in the event of a disaster. The training provides skills that can help individuals assist emergency responders in saving lives and protecting property.
The training includes disaster preparedness, fire suppression, disaster medical operations, search and rescue, incident command system, terrorism awareness, and disaster drill and simulation.
Cougar Ride – After-Hours Shuttle
Cougar Ride is a program offered by Parking and Transportation Services. It provides on-demand after-hours rides to and from all-campus shuttle stops, as well as the MD Anderson Library, Cougar Village, and the Moody Towers.
This service is like the Cougar Line Shuttles but operates from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. To use the service, simply request a ride through the UH Go App.
Emergency Call Boxes
The red poles and boxes strategically placed across campus are Emergency Call Boxes that connect UH community members directly with the UHPD dispatch center if they need emergency assistance. A handy, interactive map on the website allows the campus community to see where all the emergency call boxes are located.
Hurricane Preparedness
The University of Houston isn’t immune from natural disasters, and in Houston, that means dealing with hurricanes and their possible side effects. In cooperation with OEM, the Stay Cougar S.A.F.E. site has a Hurricane Preparedness Resource Guide available to the UH community. The resources address pre-storm preparations, post-storm recovery, and the management of the campus during a hurricane.
UH Fire Marshal’s Office Fire Extinguisher Training
The university’s Fire Life and Safety department has a new technology-driven training tool that lets the UH community learn the proper techniques of putting out a fire using a fire extinguisher without having to put out an actual fire.
The laser-driven fire extinguisher allows Fire Life and Safety to hold training courses inside. Anybody from the UH campus community can request training on fire extinguisher use through the Stay Cougar S.A.F.E. web site.
Please take some time during National Campus Safety Awareness Month to visit the newly relaunched Stay Cougar S.A.F.E. web site and familiarize yourself with all the campus safety resources available.
