At JCHS, the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff is very important to us. We strive to ensure that everyone at the College can focus on academics in a comfortable and safe environment, while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for the public to visit our school and learn more about the education we provide.

The JCHS Campus Safety Awareness webpage is an online tool to help members of our campus community find:

• Tips and guidelines that maintain health and safety.
• Important updates to information affecting our school.
• Contact information for Security and Police. 

For more information about this webpage and the information listed here, contact Susan Booth, JCHS Physical Plant and Safety Officer, via e-mail at SLBooth1@jchs.edu or by phone at 
(540) 224-4640. If you need immediate assistance:

- For Fire and Medical emergencies, call 911 from a cell phone or 9-911 from in-house phone. 
- For Police emergencies, call (540) 981-7911 from cell phone or 7-7911 from in-house phone. 
- For JCHS Security, call (540) 224-4687 from cell phone or 8-4687 from in-house phone.  

Click on a link to learn more:
- Fire Alarm Response Evaluation - Sept. 20, 2010
- Annual Security Report Notice of Availability
- Updated 2010-2011 JCHS Safety Plan Now Available Online
- Safety Reminders as We Prepare to Move to CRCH
- Reid Building Evacuation on April 12, 2010
- On Campus Fire Log and Statistics Now Available
- JCHS Emergency Information
- JCHS Evacuation Drill Evaluation
- Have You Signed Up for e-2 Campus?
- JCHS Awarded Federal Grant from Office of Violence Against Women
- Don't Let Identity Thieves Steal Your Future
- Automated External Defibrillator Available in Reid Center
- Parking at the Roanoke Higher Education Center: A Message from the Director 
- What is MRSA? 
- JCHS Part of the Downtown Neighborhood Watch Program
- Hot Topics in Campus Safety

Thanks to the tireless work of members of the JCHS Student Affairs and Safety staff, we now have new emergency phones in the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital (CRCH) Parking Garage on Levels A-G. An additional emergency phone will be installed soon on level H.

You can identify the emergency phones by the bright blue lights located at the top of the boxes, which are available for use by anyone in need of assistance, including members of the College community, Carilion Clinic employees or the public. They are located by the elevators.

For more information on the emergency phones, click here.

The Jefferson College of Health Sciences Annual Security Report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Jefferson College of Health Sciences; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.

The report includes institutional policies concerning campus safety and security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, emergency response and evacuations, missing student notifications, fire safety and other matters.

You can obtain a copy of this report by contacting the Dean for Administrative Services or by accessing the following JCHS websites:

-   JCHS Annual Security Report

-   JCHS Fire Safety Report

-   JCHS Campus Safety and Security Report

The Jefferson College of Health Sciences Safety Plan has been updated by the Safety and Security Committee.

The Safety Plan is designed as a reference for faculty, staff and students in understanding safety regulations and rules of the college. Everyone at JCHS has the responsibility and accountability for understanding and applying the information contained in the Plan. 

To see the 2010-2011 Safety Plan, click here.

Know Your Carilion Clinic Emergency Codes

• Red: Smoke and/or fire situation.
• Grey: Receipt of a bomb threat or the discovery of a suspicious item that has the potential to be an explosive device.
• Orange: Known or suspected hazardous material situation.
• Secure/Silver: Secure person(s) or area due to acts or threats of physical violence, including intimidation, harassment or coercion.
• Lindbergh: Infant or pediatric abduction.
• Green: Disaster situation.
• E: Emergency e-mail notification to guide prompt mobilization and coordination during an event.

On Monday, April 12, 2010, at approximately 5 p.m., a light ballast in the interior stairwell between the 4^th and 5^th floors burnt out. This caused a strong electrical burning smell to be carried throughout the area. College security responded by erring to the side of caution and alerted the Roanoke City Fire Department.

Within minutes, Carilion Police had two police officers, a lieutenant and the chief on scene.

Before the Fire Department arrived on scene, and within four minutes of the audible fire alarm, the building was evacuated of approximately 75 people. Security, faculty and staff swept the floors to assure no one had remained in the building. The residence hall RA’s swept the three residence hall floors and immediately exited the building once all the rooms had been checked.

CRCH Engineering/Maintenance arrived and ascertained the above was the cause of action. 

An all clear was given by the Fire Department at 5:25 p.m. and notification was made to allow people to reenter the building. The system was reset at 5:53 p.m.

Once again, we were commended by authorities on how well we responded to an event.

We would like to thank those who responded and assisted in assuring our faculty, staff, students and visitors remained safe.

At Jefferson College of Health Sciences, providing a safe and healthy environment in which to work, learn and play is very important. We provide numerous safety measures throughout campus, including a 24-hour locked door policy, restricted card and key access entry into campus buildings and residence halls, surveillance monitoring, Carilion Clinic Police Department, 24-hour security, safety escorts, safety policies and procedures and emergency response plans.

In the event of an emergency, remain calm, do not put yourself in harm’s way and report the event to authorities.

For Police emergencies, call Carilion Clinic Police at 7-7911 (in-house) or (540) 981-7911 (cell phone). Stay on the phone with the police dispatcher until they get all the information necessary to send the appropriate emergency personnel.

For Fire and Medical emergencies, call Roanoke City Police Department at 9-911 (in-house) or 911 (cell phone). Stay on the phone with the police dispatcher until they get all the information necessary to send the appropriate emergency personnel. 

Emergencies can happen at any time or without warning. Potential emergencies at Jefferson College of Health Sciences may require that students be prepared to evacuate from campus buildings. Students should become familiar with campus buildings and be familiar with the following guidelines:

• Be familiar with the building evacuation routes.
• Know the location of pull stations and extinguishers.
• Participate in all fire drills and take them seriously.
• Begin to evacuate at the first sign of smoke, fire alarm or an evacuation notice.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to identify needs in advance to the classroom instructor, or another department official or Student Affairs, so you can receive assistance in the event of an evacuation or other emergency. 

For more information on resources you can access during emergency situations, click on a link below:

• e2 Campus
• Building Evacuations
• Medical Emergencies
• Important Phone Numbers and Links

Click here to download a Powerpoint presentation about Jefferson College of Health Sciences' Emergency Plans and Responses.

e-2 Campus can quickly alert our students, faculty and staff with information that can increase your safety, regardless of whether you're on-campus or off-campus. With e-2 Campus, we can send messages directly to your:

• Mobile Phone (via SMS)
• Webpage
• RSS
• PDA
• E-mail
• Text Pager
• Google, AOL or My Yahoo Pages

Messages may include information about weather and road conditions, criminal acts on or near campus and building emergencies. Signing up for e-2 Campus is free, quick and easy! You can sign up by going to:  http://www.e2campus.com/my/jchs/.

We are very pleased to announce that JCHS has been awarded a federal grant totaling $235,201 from the federal Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

We applied for the grant in March 2008 as part of the “Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program.” The federal money will fund a three year initiative of training, programming, and physical improvements on campus. Grant money will also cover speakers and other educational programming that will be open to the Roanoke community over the coming years.

We partnered with five other programs and agencies in the Roanoke community to apply for the grant. These partner agencies were the Roanoke City Police Department, the Carilion Clinic Police and Security Department, Project Horizon, the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and the Sexual Assault Response and Awareness Program, a part of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. 

“There were many faculty, staff and students involved in designing our grant application,” says Jennifer Carlo, JCHS Dean for Student Services and one of the Project Co-Directors. “We are looking forward to a campus-wide effort, in collaboration with our partner agencies, to draw attention to these important issues.”

JCHS Physical Plant and Safety Officer Susan L. Booth adds, “We believe teaching others how to be safe only enhances our security department. Safety is everyone's responsibility and by involving others, we help prevent problems before they start.”

In addition to Carlo and Booth, the JCHS staff members who will serve as Project Co-Directors for the grant are Dr. Stacey Lilley, Director of Counseling and Wellness, Student Services Department and Dr. Douglas Southard, College Provost and Dean for Academic Affairs. Other faculty staff who gave information or ideas or who otherwise helped with the grant in its formative stages are Dr. Lisa Allison-Jones, Howard Ballentine, Vicki Bierman, Jennifer Flint, Christina Hatch, Scott Hill, Lori Hulak, Mark Lambert, Jim Pierce, Dr. Paula Prince, Sarah Ross, Carol Rowlett, and Mac Snead. We are grateful for everyone’s help on this project!

JCHS President Dr. Carol Seavor notes that women typically make up 80 to 85 percent of the College’s student population and this award is very much appreciated and timely. “The opportunity to partner with other community agencies adds great potential for success and strengthens ties to our community,” Seavor says. “In these uncertain times that call for heightened security on campuses, this grant will provide us with additional resources to ensure that JCHS is well prepared to provide a safe environment that supports high quality living and learning.”

The schedule for implementing these projects is being determined now. As part of the grant acceptance agreement, we will report the progress of implementing these projects to the OVW.

For more information, contact Jennifer Carlo, Dean for Student Services, via e-mail at jcarlo@jchs.edu or by phone at (540) 985-8501 or Mark Lambert, Coordinator for Communications and College Relations, via e-mail at mlambert@jchs.edu or by phone at (540) 985-9031. 

I'm a student; why do I need to be concerned about identity theft? I don't have a lot of money or assets, why would I be a target for identity theft?

Being a student does not safeguard you against identity theft, one of the fastest growing consumer crimes in the nation. Identity thieves don't steal your money; they steal your name and reputation and use them for their own financial gain. They attempt to steal your future! Identity theft literally steals who you are, and it can seriously jeopardize your financial future.

Imagine having thousands of dollars of unauthorized debt and a wrecked credit rating because of identity theft. Also, the unfortunate reality of identity theft is that it is you, the victim, who is responsible for cleaning up the mess and re-establishing your good name and credit. The experience of thousands of identity theft victims is that this frustrating experience often requires months and even years.

In fact as a student, you may even be more vulnerable to identity theft because of the availability of your personal data and the way many students handle this data. A recent national survey of college students found that:

• Almost half of all college students receive credit card applications on a daily or weekly basis. Many of these students throw out card applications without destroying them.
• Nearly a third of students rarely, if ever, reconcile their credit card and checking account balances.
• Almost 50 percent of students have had grades posted by Social Security number.

All of these factors make students potential identity theft victims. In addition, as a student, you may be surprised to learn how many of your daily activities expose you to this crime. For example:

Do you use your personal computer for online banking transactions?

• Do you use your personal computer to buy merchandise or purchase tickets for travel, concerts, or other services?
• Do you receive credit card offers in the mail? Do you discard these documents before you shred of them?
• Do you store personal information in your computer?
• Do you use a cell phone?
• Do you use your Social Security number for identification?
• Do you have a student loan?

You probably answered yes to at least one of these questions about daily transactions that you routinely perform. Each of these routine actions places you at risk of being a victim of identity theft because each of these transactions requires you to share personal information such as your bank and credit card account numbers, your Social Security number, or your name, address, and phone number. This is the same personal information that identity thieves use to commit fraud.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, costing victims over $5 billion annually. Identity theft occurs when someone else uses your personally identifying information without your knowledge or permission to obtain credit cards, get wireless or phone products and services, obtain loans and mortgages, get a job, and commit other types of fraudulent or even criminal acts, in your name, leaving you responsible for the consequences.

The identity thief uses key pieces of your information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers to obtain credit, merchandise and services in your name. An estimated 9.9 million consumers were victims of identity theft in 2003, and unfortunately, that number is growing.

If your identity is stolen, you may spend months or even years clearing up the damage thieves have caused to your reputation and credit record. In the time it takes to resolve these issues, you may lose job opportunities and be refused loans for education, housing, or a car. Although you have not committed a crime, been late with a payment, or abused your credit, you are the one who would suffer severe financial consequences as a result of identity theft. As a student or recent graduate, being a victim of identity theft jeopardizes your financial future just as you are beginning to establish your credit record.

Identity theft is a federal crime. The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 made it a federal crime when anyone "knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of the Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law."

For more information on how to reduce your risk: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/misused/idtheft.html

Each year, at least 250,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest before reaching a hospital. Many of these lives can be saved if 911 is called, CPR is started and trained responders provide defibrillation within minutes.

For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chances of survival decreases seven to ten percent.

Early defibrillation is the key to survival from sudden cardiac arrest. One of the ways to achieve early defibrillation is the placement of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in a location that is readily accessible to trained responders.

An automated external defibrillator is available in the third floor main lobby at CRCH.

For more information on heart health, visit the American Heart Association's website at www.americanheart.org.

Carilion Corporate University offers education in using the AED and other methods of life support. For more information, call Vickie Percell, Human Resources Development, at (540) 981-7745 (77745). 

Below is a response from the Director of Operations at the Roanoke Higher Education Center, in reference the recent parking rate changes. Please follow the recommendations provided to assure safe travel to and from your vehicles.

We take the safety of our students very seriously, and we invest our resources wisely to demonstrate such a commitment.

Such investments consist of communication with our on-site member leadership in a variety of means (monthly member meetings, emails, individual face-to-face meetings as needed, etc).  We rely heavily upon this leadership to disseminate appropriate information to their stakeholders and our building occupants.  We cultivate relationships with the local EMS, police, and other government entities to provide support of our operations.  We invest financially when/where possible to decrease the risk of harm to building occupants. 

We work closely with the Sunstates Security team through a series of monthly meetings with their Regional Director of Operations (Mr. Sam Witty) as well as written evaluations and constant feedback with the entire team, particularly with the on-site supervisor, Captain Jay Chase.  Our security team has always been helpful when we face challenges like those of the parking situation.

One solution (in addition to their DARs, IRs, and other note-taking mechanisms) that the security team provides is one that you mention below. 

Any building occupant (student or otherwise) that requests a personal escort to their vehicle from our security team will not be denied.  Sunstates security does an excellent job of providing such a service to building occupants, and takes great pride when asked to provide such a service.

Another solution is that students are encouraged to walk out of the building in groups when possible.  The key here is for students/occupants not to walk in unlit areas alone.

For those students who have cell phones, they are encouraged to dial 911 first in the case of emergency, and also to contact our security team directly at 767-6001.  This line is directly tied into the security cell phone.  Once it rings into the office and receives no answer, it rolls over to the security cell phone number that is always carried by a member of the on-site team.

Recently, our security team has invested wisely in two-way radio communications as another form of communication.  Should something occur that requires immediate attention from an on-site teammate, these radios allow them to communicate to one another while the cell phone is free to contact EMS personnel, myself, or otherwise.

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria. It may cause skin infections that look like pimples or boils. Skin infections caused by Staph may be red, swollen, and painful or have pus or other drainage. Some Staph, such as MRSA are resistant to certain antibiotics, making it harder to treat.

Anyone can get a Staph infection. People are more likely to get if they have:

·         Skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a Staph infection

·         Contact with items and surfaces that have Staph on them

·         Openings in their skin such as cuts or scrapes

·         Crowded living conditions

·         Poor hygiene

Most Staph infections are minor and may be easily treated. Staph may also cause more serious infections, such as infections of the bloodstream, surgical sites or pneumonia. Sometimes a Staph infection that starts as a skin infection may worsen. It?s important to contact your physician if your infection does not get better. Treatment for Staph skin infection may include taking an antibiotic or having a doctor drain the infection.

To keep Staph infections from spreading:

·         Wash your hands often and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly.

·         Keep your cuts and scrapes clean and cover them with bandages.

·         Do not touch other people?s cuts or bandages.

·         Do not share personal items like towels or razors.

For more information, go to www.cdc.gov.

At Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Environmental Services uses a disinfectant on a daily basis that kills MRSA.

The city of Roanoke has implemented a Downtown Neighborhood Watch Program for area business and residents, with Jefferson College of Health Sciences as a member.

As a member, we are asked to keep our eyes and ears open to any suspicious activity or persons and call 911 if we do. That's it, just call.

One of the perks is that we'll receive local area crime and alert notices. I'll forward them along to you as I receive them and the notices will also be posted at the lobby security desk.

Click on a link below to see more about the selected topics in campus safety at JCHS.

• Internet Safety
• Crosswalk Safety
• Parking Safety