Introduction

Safety on a university campus is a natural source of concern for parents, students, guests, and university employees. MSU Billings recognizes this and employs a number of security measures to protect the members of its community. Although many people perceive a college campus as a relative safe and close knit environment, safety and planning for emergencies is a high priority for the University. MSU Billings’ students, guests, and employees share in the responsibility of making the University a safe place to study, work, visit, and live.

University Police

MSU Billings provides a full-service professional police department, all of whom are Montana Law Enforcement Academy certified police officers. Under Montana law, University Police Officers have the same authority as other law enforcement officers in the state. The University Police Department’s primary responsibility is for the law enforcement at the University, maintaining a close working relationship with other law enforcement agencies. Officers patrol University property 24 hours a day with an emphasis on a community based policing philosophy, focusing on crime prevention and education. The on duty officer(s) are typically the first responders for any emergency or crisis.

Emergency Telephone Number

In an event of an emergency, call should be made directly to 911 to dispatch the fire department, police, or ambulance services immediately. After 911 have been dispatched, a call should be made to the University Police at (x2222). In a non–emergency situation requiring assistance, a call can be made directly to the University Police at (x2147).

Emergency Preparedness

MSU Billings has comprehensive emergency management plan for handling critical incidents. The Crisis Management Team (CMT) is responsible for the creation and implementation of all emergency response plans, communicating plans, and training and exercises held in regards to emergency management and planning. The committee operates under the Incident Command System (ICS).

In addition, the Chief of University Police serves as a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and works closely with all other local agencies to maintain open communication, mutual aid agreements, and close working relationships. Training is coordinated and exercised through MSU Billings personnel in conjunction with local fire, law, and medical responders.

The emergency response plan allows MSU Billings to respond to an emergency or disruptive incident in a timely manner, providing the ability to stay ahead of the incident’s acceleration curve. The plan also networks the University CMT with emergency response personnel, which improves coordination and cooperation. During an incident, MSU Billings CMT is a part of the overall Emergency Response Plan and provides timely and sometimes critical information to students, employees, and guests and makes decisions necessary to manage the situation. In addition, the CMT is responsible to follow up with post emergency response and recovery.

The Individual Responsibility

Although MSU Billings works hard to ensure the safety of all individuals within its community, students, employees, and guests must take responsibility for their own personal safety and that of their personal property. Simple, common sense precautions are the most effective means of maintaining personal safety.