Emergency Management at The College of New Jersey

Information Related to Emergent Situations

The most recent available information related to ongoing critical incidents at TCNJ will be posted to www.tcnj.edu as quickly as possible and will be updated whenever appropriate. Once the College has effectively resolved the situation at hand, the Department of Public Affairs will be reachable at 609.771.2368 or emergencymanagement@tcnj.edu and will respond to questions and concerns. Please refrain from calling TCNJ Campus Police during critical incidents, unless you are reporting an emergency or providing information that could help resolve an ongoing situation. The Office of Public Affairs will endeavor to keep you fully informed, but directing inquiries to TCNJ Police could hinder the College’s safety and security personnel at this time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

---

Statement on Campus Security

TCNJ’s Office of Campus Police Services is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, year round. Our fully trained, commissioned, and armed law enforcement officers rotate through three shifts in a 24-hour period. The College also has civilian security officers that provide additional supervision and enforcement on a daily basis. Campus Police officers at TCNJ have the same power and authority as all other commissioned police officers in the state of New Jersey.  As such, they perform mixed methods of patrol, answer calls for service, perform security assessments and surveys, respond to alarms and medical needs, enforce motor vehicle regulations, handle traffic enforcement, perform investigations of criminal activity, take reports, provide escorts, conduct educational programs, and steadfastly protect the community they serve.

Established procedures and equipment, such as building and system alarms, electronic card-swipe access, digital video management systems, required guest sign-ins, emergency telephones, and more, are used in various locations to provide the best possible security for the College's campus. All procedures are regularly reviewed, and the College conducts routine fire notification and evacuation drills in all residence halls.

Detailed police protocols for specific incidents on campus are confidential. Publication of these protocols could compromise their effectiveness.

---

Reporting of Critical Incidents

Critical incidents should be reported to the Office of Campus Police Services by calling 609.771.2167 or dialing 911 from any campus telephone or pay telephone. After initiating the appropriate emergency response, Campus Police Services notifies members of the College's Critical Incident Team, which manages the response to the incident and communication to the campus community.

---

Campus Alert Policy

When faced with a critical incident, the Office of Public Affairs will distribute pertinent information via any or all of the following:

• Text-message
• Mass e-mail
• Voicemail
• An alert on the College's Web site (www.tcnj.edu)
• Campus voicemail
• TCNJ's Hotline (609.637.6000)
• Updates to the Critical Incident Web page (www.tcnj.edu/~ccr/critical/)
• Parents listserv
• Faculty listserv
• TCNJ Emergency Blog
• Other available communication channels

Please refer to the College Web site (www.tcnj.edu), TCNJ e-mail, and the text-message system as your first sources of information. They can be updated more rapidly than the other lines of communication. The College will, however, use whatever communication methods it deems appropriate upon assessment of all available information and risks in specific situations.

• Emergency Preparation
• Evacuation Information

---

Tips for Working with Media During Times of Crisis

• Reporters have a job to do, so you should act respectfully when approached, but remember that you have rights!
• When approached, ask for the reporter’s name and the name of his or her publication or network.
• Reporters and camera operators can approach you in public areas ONLY and are not permitted in residence facilities, classrooms, dining halls, and other locations.
• You are under no obligation to respond to media inquiries and can refuse to answer any and all questions, if that is your preference.
• If you feel that you are being approached in an inappropriate way or are even being harassed, please call the Office of Campus Police Services at 771.2167.
• If you choose to answer questions, THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK, and respond based on what you KNOW with certainty. Above all, avoid speculating and hypothesizing.
• Reporters often frame their questions to bring out the conflict in a story. When answering, be honest and direct, and don't be lulled into flippancy, forced humor, or repeating negative words used in the reporter's question.
• If you would like advice or assistance in dealing with media requests, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at 771-2368.