Violence or Hostage Situation on Campus

If you witness an act of violence or terrorist situation on campus:

  1. Get away from the situation as quickly as possible.
  2. If you cannot get away, take cover to protect yourself.
  3. Dial 911 or (330) 287-3333 to report the incident to Campus Safety. If you are on campus and do not have a telephone, look for one of the emergency blue light telephones located throughout campus. The phones have a blue light on top and the word “emergency.” To use the phone, press the button and talk into the speaker. This will connect you directly to Campus Safety.

The College of Wooster uses the Rave Guardian(tm) system to communicate safety emergencies. All emergency alerts should be taken seriously. Alerts are issued only when a threat to the safety of our campus community is determined. Alerts will be sent via email, text/SMS message, and push notification. Please ensure your contact information is up to date in Colleague and please download the free Rave Guardian(tm) application from the app store or wherever you get your apps.

For more information on Rave Guardian(tm), please visit our information page.

If a threat to human safety occurs:

  1. Emergency warning messages will be sent to campus – including safety instructions for students, faculty, and staff.
  2. You will be instructed to “Shelter in Place.” Proceed to a room that can be locked or secured by some other means. Lock all doors and windows and turn off the lights. Stay away from the line of sight through windows and doors. Do not leave your position until the College issues an “All Clear” message.
  3. Updated information about the situation will be communicated via the Rave Guardian App.

If you are involved in a hostage situation:

  1. Dial 911 or (330) 287-3333 for Campus Safety, if possible, and supply as many details as possible including number of persons involved, description of hostage takers, weapons displayed, threats made, etc.
  2. Do what you are told without argument.
  3. Do not attempt to negotiate, argue, or fight with the hostage taker.
  4. Try to get others to remain calm. Tell them to do what they are told.