York University is bringing together experts in personal safety for its Winter Safety Awareness Days, Feb. 1 and 3, at the Keele and Glendon Campuses.
On Feb. 1, from 11am to 7pm, campus providers of personal safety services will offer information displays and giveaways in Vari Hall, the Link and Central Square on the Keele campus. The experts will also be there to offer advice on personal safety. The event will then move to the Glendon Campus on Feb. 3, from 11am to 7pm. Glendon’s Safety Awareness Day will be held in the York Hall Cafeteria.
Right: Click on the photo to view a slideshow of York University's first Safety Awareness Day
"I am pleased that Safety Awareness Day is becoming a part of the York University culture," said Mamdouh Shoukri, York president & vice-chancellor. “I hope that our community takes advantage of this opportunity to meet our partners and become informed about the various safety resources and programs that are available to them at York."
“Safety Awareness Day offers a one-stop shop for information about how you can be safe on campus,” says Katherine Branton, manager of York’s Emergency Preparedness Program and one of the organizers of the event. “It’s a great way to speak with all the experts on the services available to University community members.
There will also be a chance for visitors to the Winter Safety Awareness Days to fill out a survey to win some great prizes.
Some booths that will be present at Safety Awareness Day in Vari Hall include:
- Emergency Preparedness Program: Find out what York has planned in case of emergencies, and what individuals can do to be prepared for an emergency.
- goSAFE: Community members who study or work late on campus can use the University's goSAFE program. goSAFE offers safety escorts who can walk community members to their on-campus destination, and there is a shuttle that operates after-hours.
- York Security Services: Meet some of the members of the University's security team who cover the Keele and Glendon campuses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by foot, bicycle and vehicle, and by monitoring more than 600 closed-circuit television cameras. Learn more about the many crime prevention programs that are in place, including the blue light emergency telephones, the STOP laptop theft prevention program, the Why Work Alone? program and more.
- Health Education & Promotion: For those who enjoy a meal and a drink in the pubs, this booth offers information and tips from York's SafeSource Program.
- Safety Awareness Initiative: Know It! Use It! Own It! and the University's Safety Awareness website.
- Community Safety Council: Have your say by joining the Community Safety Council, or find out the latest on what they have been up to in order to keep the campus safe.
- Occupational Health and Safety: If you are a faculty member, staff member or student working at York University, come and find out more on how you can ensure a safe work environment.
- Other exhibitors include the Sexual Assault Survivors' Support Line, municipal emergency services, including police, fire and emergency medical services, Transportation Services (GO Transit, YRT/VIVA, Brampton Transit and TTC), and more.
Safety Awareness Day follows the release of the York University Safety Audit Report, a comprehensive evaluation of safety initiatives on the York campus by the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women & Children (METRAC), a third-party auditor. The report captured many of the strengths related to safety programs on campus, as well as the approach and rationale for the existence of these programs (see YFile, Sept. 14). However, one of the most prominent themes from the METRAC Safety Audit was the need to develop a more pronounced culture of safety and security for all community members.
“Safety Awareness Day offers a great opportunity to speak one-to-one with the experts,” says Branton. “Everyone should take a moment to drop by, because you never know what you might learn."
Visit the Safety Awareness website to learn more about the comprehensive safety measures, programs and services available at York University.