Safety on Campus

Purdue Police

Campus safety is of the highest importance at Purdue, and we are fortunate to have a community that strives to ensure that students are as safe as possible.  Key to this effort is the Purdue University Police Department. They maintain a visible presence on campus, address student concerns, respond to calls for assistance, and sponsor safety education programs. They also work with other local police departments to serve our students who live off campus.

Working closely with the police is the Purdue Student Security Patrol. This student force assists at major campus events and also is involved with the Safe Walk program. Students patrol campus between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and offer escorts to and from campus buildings 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Campus also is dotted with emergency telephones that connect callers directly to Purdue Police with a response time of less than two minutes.

Student Housing

University Residences also provide safe and secure environments for their residents through a variety of efforts:

Each fall, all Purdue residences sponsor educational programs on safety and security. The program includes distribution of information and special presentations by police officers and other speakers.

Residence managers include information on safety and crime awareness on floor bulletin boards and safety-related programming on Boiler TV (University Residences television).

After 11 p.m., entrance to residences is restricted to those who live and work there. Staff members on duty late at night and early in the morning monitor entrances, and police officers provide foot patrol. Residents must provide their Purdue ID to enter after the doors are locked and visitors must be escorted.

Emergency Warning Notification System

Purdue is a large and complex institution, and people move about our campus freely. Despite advances in communication, there is no way to reach everyone instantly with a single message. However, the multi-layered approaches we have in place will help spread the word quickly, based on the circumstances. The following communication methods make up the University’s Emergency Communication Plan:

• All-Hazards Emergency Warning sirens
• Fire alarms
• University Residences has procedures for alerting people in individual halls via their resident assistants, phones, and signage
• An e-mail can be sent to all people with a purdue.edu address, and all building deputies receive emergency notifications, which they circulate through their own channels
• The Purdue web site, is the focal point of the most complete information for campus-related emergencies

Purdue Fire Department

Community outreach is a priority of the Purdue Fire Department, whose services extend far beyond responding to emergencies. The department sponsors fire prevention and public education programs that encompass:

• Fire prevention, safety, and first aid presentations for Purdue students, faculty and staff
• Involvement with the Campus Safety Task Force
• Presentations during new student orientation programs
• Assisting students and faculty with research projects

More information about Purdue emergency services is available on the Purdue Police Department or Purdue Fire Department web sites.