At William Woods University (WWU), the campus community is “fired up” about campus safety and security – literally.
WWU will hold a “controlled burn” event on campus this Wednesday, September 12, at 3:45 p.m. to educate all students, faculty and staff in proper fire safety. The burn event, which will consist of a wooden structure mocked up as a residence hall room that will be burned to the ground to simulate a real such room catching fire, will take place on the green directly behind Serena Hall on campus. The event is being held in conjunction with the Fulton Fire Department and is the latest example of William Woods’ commitment to the safety and security of its entire campus community.
“Campus safety for our students, faculty, staff and visitors is a 24-7 priority at William Woods University,” said Jahnae H. Barnett, President of William Woods University. “We are constantly assessing our procedures to ensure we remain on the cutting edge of campus safety and security best practices, which creates the best possible learning, teaching and living environment for our campus community.”
In addition to this week’s burn event, William Woods has instituted a number of measures designed to maximize safety and security in campus, including:
- A system of emergency notification called Woods Alert, whereby the entire WWU community is instantly notified via email, phone call and text message when there is a crisis situation or severe weather alert. Updates from Woods Alert also appear on the William Woods University homepage, https://www.williamwoods.edu
- Strategically-placed security cameras stationed across campus, with a new camera installed just this year, to allow our Campus Safety staff the means to effectively monitor the entire campus at all times
- A system of call boxes posted throughout the WWU campus, which provides assistance to any student, faculty or staff member that needs help. Each box contains a red button that calls 911 to contact the police, and a black button that contacts Campus Safety
- A mobile data terminal installed in the campus safety vehicle, allowing officers to complete desk assignments, download important safety information and monitor the campus security cameras, all from inside the vehicle
- An Emergency Operations Planning committee, consisting of staff and faculty representatives, which is responsible for reviewing emergency operation plans, which include all categories from crisis management to weather. The team meets on a monthly basis to review emergency plans to ensure that they are current, relevant and understandable.
For more on safety and security resources at William Woods University, please visit safety@williamwoods.edu.
