Lock-down Procedure

Stay informed and stay safe on campus

Get the information you need quickly and easily in case of a critical incident occuring on or near the campus. U of G Alert, the university's critical incident notification system, can deliver alerts right to your phone. Active students, staff and faculty have been registered with their U of G email.  For more information on U of G Alert and how to add additional ways to contact (SMS Text, personal email, SafeGryphon), please visit https://www.uoguelph.ca/beprepared/u-of-g-alert

In the event of a critical indicent, call 911 or the Campus Safety Office. When contacting authorities, report your specific location with the name of the building you’re located in, with the specific room number, as well as the number of people you are with, and report if any injuries have been sustained.

If someone is injured, inform the operator of your situation and your location.

You should also report any information about the assailant, such as descriptions of clothing, the last known location, and the number of assailants.

The Campus Safety Office will make you aware of a lockdown using as many methods as possible, including an audio alarm, displaying messages on digital signs & social media and the University of Guelph website, as well as on the monitors located around campus.

Please submit your cell phone number to the campus alert system so that you can receive alerts directly on your mobile device.

As soon as you become aware of the lockdown, you must take immediate action.

Avoid.

If you are close to an exit, get to a safe place immediately. If you’re in an outside area, get in a building or  leave campus immediately, if safe to do so.

If you choose to help others, please ask how you may help them. Only choose to help others if it is safe to do so.

If you cannot safely evacuate the building or area, you must find a secure location to hide and begin lockdown procedures.

Barricade.

If you cannot safely evacuate the building, or if you do not know where the threat is taking place, find a secure location to hide.

A secure area is any space that has a solid barrier between you and the threat, such as an office or lecture hall with few or no windows and a locked or barricaded door.

If you are in a classroom or lecture hall with wide open space and many windows, the best option may be to leave campus. Do not move toward the sound of any disturbances.

If you choose to hide, please do the following: Close the door, and – if possible – lock the door; turn out the lights; close the blinds or curtains and block any remaining windows; barricade the door by any means possible; take cover out of sight and away from the windows and doors; stay low, stay quiet, and stay out of sight.

Silence cell phones and mobile devices. Turn off all ringers and vibration settings on your phone. Do not use your phone unless absolutely necessary. If you do need to use your phone, communicate using text messages only.

Do not respond normally to fire alarms during lockdown procedure as it may be a ploy by an intruder to lure you out of your hiding spot. Remain in the room or secure location and wait for the police to escort you from the building.

Do not unlock the door. Police will have a key. Follow police instructions and allow them to safely escort you from the building.

When there is a threat that is not necessarily immediate to the building that you are in, you may be asked to Secure and Hold, meaning that everyone within the building will be asked to remain inside for their safety until further notice. During this time, you will still have full access to the building and its amenities.

Everyone within the building will be asked to remain inside the building for their safety. Please stay away from windows and doors.

If you are outside of a building during a Secure and Hold procedure, please leave the area as requested.

Confront.

Confrontation should only be used as a last resort.

If your secure area becomes compromised, or if you are not able to flee campus, you must prepare yourself to mount an aggressive physical assault on the threat. Use anything available in your situation to assist you and be as aggressive as you can. 

Remember, if you are able to get out safely, do so.

If you cannot get out, secure your position and hide safely. Turn off all mobile device ringers and vibrations. If you must use your mobile device, text only. If your secure area becomes vulnerable by a threat, then you must prepare yourself to fight for your life.

Remember: Avoid. Barricade. Confront.