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 our security officers.
  

For more information about this webpage and the information listed here, contact Susan Booth, JCHS Safety Officer, (pictured at above), via e-mail at Susan@carilion.com or by phone at 224-4687.

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.

Jefferson College of Health Sciences has placed an AED at the Security Desk in the Reid Center lobby. We’re continually working to help provide a safe and healthy environment in which to work, learn and play.

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

• Do not leave purses or other personal items in unsecured or public areas.
• If you have a locker, use a lock.
• Lock your office when you leave, even for a few minutes.
• Avoid keeping money or other valuables in desk drawers, locked or unlocked.
• Call Security if you see or confront individuals in offices or other areas where they do not belong. All employees and students should be wearing identification. If you do not see an ID badge, ask.
• Call Security on individuals you suspect may not be legitimate visitors.
• Lock your vehicles and take the keys with you.
• Avoid leaving gifts and other items in your vehicles. If you must, then place them in the trunk or under the seats where they cannot be seen from the outside.

Milton H. Graham
Director of Security Services
Carilion Medical Center
 

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.