Dear Patriots,
You have either heard of or experienced last month’s erroneous active threat announcement. Fortunately, this was not a real event, but instead an error caused by an external vendor which has been resolved. For more information about this situation, please visit our advisories page. Many members of our community reacted quickly using their training to find a safe location, barricade/lock doors, and helped others as necessary. Although we regret this incident, it does remind us of the importance of individual and institutional preparedness. We continue to explore ways to make our campuses as safe as possible. Please help us in this endeavor by educating yourself on recommended preparedness and response procedures and report emergencies or suspicious conditions to University Police by calling (703) 993-2810.
Mason Alert: All students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to register one or more cell phone numbers with Mason Alert, the university’s emergency notification system. Mason Alert text messages provide timely notification of events affecting your safety.
Active Threat Prevention and Response: Please take 15 minutes to review the university’s Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video designed to help you identify and report concerning behaviors. This video also reviews actions that should be taken if a person with a weapon is reported on campus. To register for a scheduled viewing of the Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Videoin the Johnson Center Cinema facilitated by University Police and the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) with a question and answer session, please click here. University Police provide routine Active Threat Training Opportunitiesor training upon request. To sign up or request training please click here.
Rave Guardian Public Safety App: Mason offers a free public safety app to all students, faculty and staff. Rave Guardian is integrated with Mason Alert and offers a number of important features, including a virtual safety escort function, the ability to submit tips anonymously to University Police, and a panic call button that relays your location to University Police. The Rave Guardian app is free through the iTunes store and the Google Play store.
Be Prepared: Information on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies that might occur on campus is available at ready.gmu.edu. This site also has resources to help faculty and staff prepare for emergencies that interrupt classes or impact research activities.
If you have any questions or concerns about Mason’s readiness for potential emergencies on campus, please contact EHS at safety@gmu.edu or 703-993-8448.