Bicycle Security Precautions

• do not store bicycles in your room without roommate’s(s’) okay
• do not store bicycles on landings or stairwells
• secure your bicycle outdoors with a high quality bicycle lock
• use outdoor bicycle racks; don’t lock bicycle to railings, lamp posts, ramps, hand-rails, etc.
• make sure your lock secures both wheel and frame
• if your bicycle has quick-release wheels and seat, secure front wheel with the back wheel and frame and carry the seat with you
• keep a thorough description of your bicycle on hand, in case theft occurs
• register your bicycle with University Police [(40) 53555] to aid in recovery if theft occurs

Securing Your Personal Property

Keep your room door locked whenever you’re not there. Thefts happen most often when property is left unattended or unsecured. Since the University and Resident Life cannot be liable for personal accident, injury or illness sustained by you or your visitors, nor for any theft, loss or damage to your personal property, it’s smart for you to:

• lock up and hide your valuables
• remove valuables when you’re away during University breaks
• engrave personal property with your driver’s license number
• personalize property (paint, etc.) to help with identification
• keep your car locked and personal property in the car trunk
• make sure your property is covered by your own or your family’s homeowner’s or apartment dweller’s insurance
• keep receipts/records of purchase price, date, etc., for valuables

Fire Prevention

• cook only in designated kitchen spaces
• use only power strips that have either 14- or 12-gauge wire, built-in surge protectors and circuit breakers, and which have the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) seal.
• limit the number of appliances that are plugged in or in use at one time
• do not cook in your room
• do not have open heating elements in your room
• do not use a frayed or worn extension cord
• do not use or possess fireworks, lighted candles, flammable fuels, space heaters or firearms
• do not bring torchiere halogen lamps or halogen bulbs to your room
• do not smoke or allow others to smoke in your room or anywhere else inside the residence halls
• do not cover over your room’s smoke detector
• never drape clothes or any paper, wood, cloth, or plastic material over a lamp, smoke detector, sprinkler head or pipes
• only use grills for outdoor cooking which do not require lighter fluid or propane gas in approved areas
• when in use, hot or cooling grills must be at least 15 feet away from any building, may not be used on garden apartment balconies in Leonardtown and must not be left unattended until completely extinguished.

Fire Alarm

You must leave the building immediately when a fire alarm is sounding. If safe to do so, close your window, room/suite/ apartment doors and safely exit the building at once.

Fire Watch

Fire Watch goes into effect if a building’s fire system is inactivated. Staff will continuously patrol the buildings affected and in the event of a fire will sound four air horn blasts on each wing of each floor.

If there is a fire:

• Sound the alarm
• Leave the building
• Call 911

Automatic Sprinklers

All residence halls are equipped with automatic sprinklers. When water flows through the sprinkler heads the building alarm system will automatically sound. It is important that you do not tamper with the sprinkler heads or the system. Students tampering with the system, even accidentally, are liable for damage to University and private property and subject to administrative action.

Bomb Threats
All bomb threats reported to the University are taken seriously.

If a bomb threat is received:

• Call 911
• Call your service desk

University Police will respond to your location and assess the bomb threat. Once the Police have assessed the situation, then the Police will initiate appropriate action. Only the University of Maryland Police will decide if an evacuation needs to occur, when it will occur and how the evacuation will be announced and residents notified to evacuate. The notification to evacuate may be accomplished by the Police activating the building fire alarm system or they may decide to choose an alternate method of evacuation notification (air horns, phone, door-to-door) based on the circumstances and after assessing the situation of the particular bomb threat incident.

Saftey & Security section pages:1,2,3