Resident Life Handbook

Safety

RA Rounds

Two RAs each night will be “On Duty” to do rounds and to respond to any calls or disturbances.

Rounds will occur twice nightly, at 10 pm and 12 am Sunday through Thursday nights, and at 11 pm and 1 am Friday and Saturday nights. RAs will check in for duty each day before the main Housing office closes at 5 pm to check out the duty binder and post their RA On Duty signs.

Duty begins at 10 pm and ends at 8 am the next morning. RAs are required to stay in the housing area and be accessible to respond to any issues during the time they are on duty.

DSC Police

DSC Police Officers- are employed by the state and college to patrol the campus and surrounding areas. They will patrol our complexes in car or by foot. They patrol the Resident Life area regularly, usually assisting our RAs during their nightly rounds. If you have any need to contact them their office is located in the North East corner of the Burns arena parking lot. This is just South of the Gardner Center. We encourage you to report any criminal activity you might observe to the DSC Police Officers.

Healthealth & Safety Tips

• Do not use the room or Residence Hall premise in any manner which may cause a nuisance, fire hazard, or other risk to health and safety of residents.
• Smoking, explosives, weapons, fireworks, hazardous chemicals, incense, halogen lamps, water furnishings, are not allowed.
• Candles are not permitted in DSC Housing. No candles or candle warmers are allowed.
• No pets allowed. Pets will be removed immediately and will result in fines or other sanctions, including removal from housing.
• Cooking and use of coil resistance or open flame appliances, such as hotplates and grills, are not permitted in single student housing. Microwaves are permissible.
• Ungrounded electrical extension cords are not permitted. Grounded power strips with overload shut-off switches are allowed, but must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Any chaining of extension cords is strictly prohibited.
• No BBQ grills will be permitted in DSC Housing and Resident Life facilities.
• Do not chain bicycles to the railing of any of the walkways as this creates an obstruction and is against Utah state fire code.

Fire Emergency Procedures

Fire-Fighting Equipment

Fire fighting equipment is for emergency use only. Tampering with it or setting off a false alarm is a misdemeanor and a violation of State, College, and Resident Life regulations. Disciplinary action can include eviction and/or expulsion from the College, a minimum $350 fine, and/or up to six months in jail if cited.

Fire/Smoke/Heat Alarms in your Room

Your room has a smoke/heat alarm in both your room and in your bathroom. They are very sensitive, and can be set off by smoke, heat, excessive moisture in your bathrooms, even burnt popcorn from a microwave. Because these are State buildings, state law does not allow any open flame in your room. This means no burning of candles, incense, or any other action that may cause smoke. Please be aware that spraying air fresheners, or pointing a hair dryer directly at the alarms will set them off. If you are caught dismantling, tampering with, or covering the alarms in any way, you will be fined a $350 fine. It is against State Fire laws to tamper with state safety equipment. You could be cited for criminal mischief.

If the sensor is damaged by the resident and needs to be replaced, there is a $100 charge to replace the sensors inside the alarms. The best advice we can give to you is “just don’t touch them”. If fire alarm goes off due to your negligence, you will be fined $50.00 for the call.l.

Fire Evacuation

You are required by state law to immediately evacuate a building in an orderly fashion whenever a fire alarm sounds. Your safety and the safety of the residence hall community depend on your cooperation. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action or state prosecution. If you see a fire or smell smoke, pull the fire alarm station handle. Whenever you hear the building fire alarm you must leave the building!

Fire safety evacuation guidelines for residents:

1. If there is smoke in your room: Keep low to the floor.
2. If it is safe to exit:
   a. leave quickly, exiting your room.
   b. close all doors as you leave.
   c. leave your door unlocked.
   d. take your room key and ID with you.
3. Know where the fire extinguisher(s) are located on your floor or in your apartment.
4. Residence Hall Fire Evacuation Location will be to meet in the Presidents Grove on the South side of the Science Building for accountability. Chancellor Apartments will meet in the parking lot across the street to the west. In the event of a fire in our Family Student Housing Apartment complexes, Abby residents will gather in the parking lot across the street to the south, and Dixie View residents will gather in the parking lot across the street to the east.

Medical Emergencies

In the event of a medical emergency, notify a RA or RM immediately. If you need to go to the emergency room, please notify them or have someone notify them for you.

Healthealth referrals for non emergencies

Because you are a student at DSC, the college has made arrangements with the IHC InstaCare for students who have no insurance to get in and see a doctor at no charge with a DSC referral. You may get one of these referrals from the Office during regular office hours. If it is after the Office has closed please contact your RM for a referral. The voucher provides for the initial screening fee only. Extensive care, medications, lab work, x-rays , supplies, etc are the financial responsibility of the student and/or parent/guardian.

Safety Tips

Moving In: Moving into the residence hall can be a tiring and an exciting process. Always make sure you know who is helping you. Keep your room and car locked each time you go in and out.

Securing Your Door: Always lock your door. Don’t give intruders and thieves’ opportunity - crimes can take place in seconds.

Securing Valuables: Make sure you place items of value (cash, jewelry, and checkbooks) out of sight and in a safe place only known by you. Do not disclose information on the items of value to others.

Keys: Don’t loan your key to others. Report all lost/stolen keys to the Office immediately. If you are missing your key but are not sure it’s lost, report it. Necessary precautions can be taken.

Suspicious Persons: If you see or encounter a suspicious person report them to an RA, RM, or to the Office. Avoid confronting a suspicious person. Don’t give them any information about yourself or anyone else.

Suspicious Event/Condition: If you notice something odd or unusual please report it to your RA or to the Office immediately. You may be witnessing a crime and with your help it maybe stopped or solved.

Obscene/Threatening Phone Calls/Letters/Persons: Record times and dates of such events. Report the first incident and subsequent incidents immediately to your RA, RM, or the Office. Such crimes are federal offenses and are punishable.

Stolen Property: Please report stolen and missing property immediately to your RA, RM, or the Office. The sooner a theft is reported the better the chances of recovery.

Vehicles: Always keep your vehicles locked and windows rolled up. Avoid keeping items of value in plain sight. Report any break in, accidents, and vandalism to your car immediately.

Campus at Night: Avoid walking alone at night especially in low-lit areas. If you are uncomfortable walking alone, please contact your RA or RM to see if they can send an Officer to escort you.

Always stay alert: Know your surroundings. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Trust your instincts.