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Security Arrangements As a
student/visitor, we hope that you will have a very successful and enjoyable time
both at the University and in the City itself. Unfortunately,
in line with local and national crime trends, problems of theft and damage do
occur. With a campus as large as that of Exeter, there are always going to be
some problems but we endeavour, through mutual co-operation, to make your stay
at the University as trouble fee as possible. This document is designed to alert
you to possible problems and give advice as to how to avoid them. Estate
Patrol (Campus Security) The
University of Exeter has its own campus security known as the Estate Patrol. The
Estate Patrol Office is situated on the ground floor of Northcote House. The
prime function of the Estate Patrol is to provide a physical presence on the
University's grounds and properties and to take initial action on matters of
security, safety and emergency situations observed or reported to them during
those times of the day when the responsible authorities might be absent from the
scene. Those times would include all hours beyond the "normal working
day", overnight, weekends, closure days etc. Their
secondary function is to provide a traffic control and car parking force at the
times when their security role is least effective, such as during normal office
and University working hours. A recent introduction to the University and
operated by the Estate Patrol is closed circuit television (CCTV), which is
having a dramatic effect in reducing crime. Figures for the first full year of
operation are impressive and make the campus a much safer venue for all The
Estate Patrol can be contacted any time of the day or night on (26)3999. University Police Liaison Officer In
addition to the campus security, the University has a Police Liaison Officer,
whose tasks include liaising between those on campus and the City Police. You
will often see him on his beat in and around the campus area and can contact him
through the direct telephone line at the Police Station on 01392 451532. This
line is fitted with a voice box answering service, which is checked at the
beginning of a tour of duty. It is especially important that you leave your name
and contact address or telephone number. If a
crime is actually occurring, or offenders are still in the area, then please
phone 999 in order to obtain an immediate response. If you
wish to report a crime after it has occurred, phone 0990 700400 Personal Safety The City
of Exeter, despite being located amidst the largely rural environment of the
South West, suffers many of the problems of the modern urban environment. Whilst
the City is in the main a safe place, it would be unfair to deny that incidents
involving personal safety do occasionally happen. The most
effective way to minimise the risk of attack is by taking sensible precautions.
Most people already do this as part of their everyday lives, often without
realising it. How Can You Stay Safe?
* Try to
avoid walking alone at night.
* If you
often walk home in the dark, get a personal attack alarm.. These can be
purchased through the Guild of Students or security/DIY stores. Carry it in your
hand, so that you can use it immediately to scare off an attacker. Make sure it
is designed to continue sounding if it is dropped or falls to the ground.
* Do not
take short cuts through dark alleys, parks or across waste ground. Walk facing
the traffic so a car cannot pull up behind you unnoticed.
* If you
think someone is following you, check by crossing the road more than once if
necessary, to see if he/she follows you. If you are still worried, make your way
to the nearest place where there are other
people, or anywhere with a lot of lights on, and call the Police. * If a
vehicle stops and you are threatened, scream and shout and set off your personal
attack alarm. Endeavour to get away as quickly as you can. If you have the
opportunity, make a mental note of the registration number and description of
the car. Write down details as soon as possible afterward. If You Have Been Attacked Assaults
and rapes are serious crimes, whether committed by a stranger or someone you
know. Call the Police straightaway, they need your help in detecting the
attacker. You can help the Police by: Taking
the name or address of any witness. Trying
to remember exactly what the attacker looked like. If a car
was involved, try to note the colour, model and registration number. Although
your immediate reaction will be to wash, try not to if you can possibly help it.
It could destroy vital medical evidence, which will help to prove the case
against the person who raped or assaulted you. These
crimes are dealt with sympathetically regardless of sex. Police stations have
specially trained officers who will help and support you. Cash and Credit Cards/Personal Possessions ·
A thief only
needs a moment to make off with your valuables. Cash is a favourite target for
thieves, so try to avoid carrying large amounts. ·
If your credit
card is stolen, inform the card company immediately. If you delay reporting the
loss, it could lead to a crime being committed in your name, as a thief could
make fraudulent use of your card. Thieves can use credit cards for over the
counter and telephone purchases. ·
Never carry the
personal identification number (PIN) with your cash dispensing cards.
·
Sign new
plastic cards as soon as they arrive and cut up old ones when they expire. The
following numbers may be useful: Barclays
Bank 0160 423 0230 Lloyds
Bank 0800 585 300 Midland
Bank 0181 450 3122 National
Westminster Bank 0113 277 8899 TSB Card
Services 0127 320 4471 American
Express 0127 369 6933 Diners
Club 0125 251 3500 Card
Watch Campaign 0171 734 6030 for a free advice leaflet on "How to Look
After Your Plastic Card".
Room Security A lot of
burglaries committed in students' rooms can be prevented. Most are committed by
opportunist thieves who are constantly on the lookout for doors or windows that
have been left open. Burglars thrive on opportunities presented by persons who
do not take sufficient care. ·
Do not take the
risk of leaving your door or window open, even if you are just popping along the
corridor to visit a friend or the
bathroom. ·
Lock your door.
It may seem a bit of an inconvenience, but not as inconvenient as having your
property stolen. Remember, the opportunist thief only requires an instant to
commit the crime. ·
Do not leave
keys in your door or lying about in any common rooms. ·
Avoid putting
your name or room number on your keyring, in case it gets lost or stolen. ·
Never leave
cash or valuables on open view in your room or in your vehicle. Lock them out of
sight. Try to limit the amount of jewellery or electrical equipment you keep
with you. Do not take such items to the Sports Hall or Library. ·
Always lock
main entrance doors behind you. Try to avoid letting anyone you do not know into
the building along with you. ·
Be aware of any
strangers around the corridors in the buildings and report any suspicious
activity to a Warden, Estate Patrol
or Police. Security of Bicycles Lock It?
Clamp It? Always
lock your bicycle when you leave it, even if you are just popping into a shop
for a minute. It is advisable to fit a steel D-shaped shackle lock recommended
by your bicycle dealer or Police, rather than a padlock and chain. Wherever
possible, you should lock your bicycle to something solid, like the bicycle
racks provided outside the various buildings or, failing that, a lamppost or
railings. You must not obstruct emergency exits or hinder pedestrians. If the
wheels of your bicycle come off easily, remove the front wheel and lock it to
the frame and back wheel using a second lock if necessary. Post Code It The
Police recover thousands of stolen bicycles every year, but most of them have to
be auctioned simply because there is no way of identifying the owners. Ask your
bicycle dealer to stamp your post code onto your bicycle frame and attach a
coded bicycle sticker to warn off thieves. Vehicle Security There
are always a large number of vehicles brought onto the grounds of the University
of Exeter by students and visitors. All vehicles are good targets for the
opportunist and professional thieves. Although
the main Streatham Campus car parks are covered by CCTV, many of the University
outer residence car parks are in secluded spots unlikely to be visited by
passers by and quite often the cars are left for some considerable time. If you
have brought a motor vehicle with you, consider its security. Over a quarter of
all Police recorded crimes are car thefts or theft from cars and, like stereos
and mobile phones, it is a problem that affects us all, no matter where we
reside. If your car is stolen or broken into, it could mean weeks of expensive
inconvenience. It may be difficult to protect your car from a determined,
professional thief, but most car crime is opportunist and you can deter them by
vigilance and by fitting relatively cheap security equipment. Basic Reminders to Help You to Protect Your Vehicle ·
Never leave a
vehicle door unlocked or a window or sunroof open, even when leaving it
unattended for a moment or two. ·
·
·
Never leave
your vehicle documents in the car, as this could assist a thief in
selling it on. ·
Security mark
your stereo and if it is removable, always take it with you. In Addition, Consider Etch the
car's registration number on all glass surfaces. Thieves do not want the expense
of replacement. Fit lockable wheel
nuts and fuel cap. Fit an anti
theft device and use it every time you park. There are many types of car
security devices on the market from steering wheel and clutch pedal locks to
sophisticated electronic protection. How Can You Help to Assist the Police If
everyone was prepared to report incidents they had seen, you would be surprised
at the effect it would have on crime. Crimestoppers Crimestoppers
is a crime information collection scheme operated by the Police. The object of
the scheme is to allow those people who, for whatever reason, do not wish to be
identified to the Police to pass on information about crimes that have been
committed or are going to be committed. It enables the person involved to pass
on that information without ever disclosing his or her identity. In addition,
cash rewards are available for those who pass on valuable information, these
rewards are paid without risk to the informant's
anonymity. Crimestoppers is the only authorised system Police use to receive
information without asking the identity of the caller. Phone
any time on 0800 555111, your call is free, from anywhere in the country. Emergency Action Fire Procedure Fire
Procedure You may
discover a fire by seeing it, smelling it or hearing it. If you do discover a
fire, STAY CALM. If you start to panic, you will not be able to act properly and
you may unnecessarily scare other people. 1. Sound
the Alarm. Do this
at once. Make sure you know how to set off the alarms and where the alarm points
are. 2. Call
the Fire Brigade. Make
sure the Fire Brigade is called without delay. Dial 999. 3.
Notify University Estate Patrol. Dial
3999 on the internal phone or 263999 on an exchange line. 4.
Evacuate the Area As soon
as the alarm is raised, leave by the most direct route. Do not wait to collect
any belongings. Help people who do not know their way around (such as visitors
or outside contractors), people who are disabled or who have impaired vision or
hearing. Do not use lifts, it is safer to use the stairs. 5. Go to
Your Fire Assembly Point Make
sure you know where your fire assembly point is. Familiarise yourself with the
fire notices displayed in all Halls of Residence and academic buildings. Make
sure all your colleagues are accounted for and tell the person in charge at once
if anyone is missing or believed still in the building. Never go back inside
yourself. 6. Close
Doors Behind You Close
every door (not just fire doors) as each room section and floor of the building
is cleared. This will help stop the spread of the fire and of smoke and heat. REMEMBER
TO STAY CALM AND FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE. Fire Prevention Fire
depends on three things:
Heat - a minimum temperature to start something burning
Oxygen - usually air
Fuel - a solid, liquid or gas Take any
of these away and the fire will go out. This can be done by:
Cooling the temperature of the fire
Smothering the fire to block out the oxygen
Starving the fire of fuel Fighting
Minor Fires General Fires Water
Extinguisher, Colour Red. For general fires such as burning wood, paper, cloth,
bedding. ordinary rubbish and so on – use portable water extinguishers or hose
reels to put out the fire by cooling. Some hose reels turn the water on
automatically as soon as the hose is run out, others must be turned on by hand
before the hose is run out NEVER
USE WATER ON BURNING LIQUID OR LIVE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. Burning Liquids Foam
Extinguisher, Colour Green Powder
Extinguisher, Colour Blue CO2 Gas
(Carbon Dioxide) Extinguisher, Colour Black For
burning liquids use foam, dry powder or carbon dioxide extinguishers to put out
the fire by smothering. To use
foam extinguishers, stand well back and direct the jet so it settles gently over
the surface of the liquid without splashing. To use
dry power or carbon dioxide extinguishers, direct the jet or horn at the near
edge of the fire and drive the fire back quickly. Electrical Fires For
electrical fires, use dry powder, carbon dioxide or halon extinguishers to put
out the fire by smothering. SWITCH OFF THE CURRENT FIRST, IF SAFE TO DO SO.
Direct the jet or hose straight at the fire. If the flames are inside the
equipment, direct the jet through any opening in the casing. If you
use carbon dioxide or halon extinguishers in a confined space, ventilate the
area afterwards. Clothing Fires For
clothing fires, use a fire blanket. Get the victim onto the ground and cover
with the blanket or beat out the flames. Pan
Fires or Liquid Burning in a Container For pan
fires or liquid burning in a container, use a fire blanket. Protect your hands
and body with the blanket. Turn off the heat if you can and smother the flames
with the blanket. University
of Exeter Domestic
Services Division Estate
Patrol October
1996
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