Safety Protocols

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Emergency Telephones 

There are five emergency telephones on campus. They are mounted in red metal boxes and can only dial 911. Emergency telephones are in the following locations:

  • Warkentin Court – East side of Mod 1A next to the parking lot
  • Haury Hall – West wall left of the front sidewalk
  • Schultz Student Center – Left of the front entrance
  • Goering Hall – West exterior wall
  • Fine Arts Center – West entrance

Emergency Stations

The emergency stations are hard to miss on campus due to their height and the blue light on top of the pole. The station has a red emergency button that will call 911 when pressed.  

Emergency stations are located:

  • Walking path between the south entry of Will Academic Center (WAC) and the northeast corner of Haury Hall
  • East side of Fine Arts Center (FAC) parking lot between the Schultz Student Center and the FAC
  • North of the walking bridge headed toward Goering Hall
  • East end of Voth Hall sidewalk by Voth parking lot

Fire

In this type of emergency, the main objective is the safety of others, and your quick response can save lives and reduce property damage.

If you discover a fire or smoke you should:

  • Sound the alarm by finding the nearest pull station
  • Exit the building
  • Call 911 – provide as much information as possible to the dispatcher and stay on the phone with them until they have all information needed
  • Do not attempt to put out the fire or rescue others unless you can do so safely
  • When using a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS
  • Pull – pull pin so extinguisher can be used
  • Aim – aim the hose at the base of the fire, not the flames
  • Squeeze – squeeze the handle of the extinguisher
  • Sweep – use a sweeping motion at the base of the fire

Where to go if there is a possibility of fire or visible smoke and flames:

  • If there is smoke, drop to the floor and stay low (smoke inhalation is often fatal)
  • Feel the door before opening it – if hot, do not open the door
  • If you are able to leave the room, you should:
    • Take a wet cloth to place over your face in case you encounter smoke
    • Proceed to the nearest exit – do not use the elevator
    • Stay low to the ground if smoke is present
    • Stand clear of the building after evacuation and follow the directions of the fire, police, and other Bethel personnel
    • Never re-enter a building without authorization
  • If you cannot leave or exit safely you should:
    • Seal up the cracks around the door with a damp towel or other clothes to prevent smoke from entering the room
    • Hang an object out the window to indicate to those outside that someone is in this room
    • Call 911 and let them know where you are located and that you need to be rescued
    • Stay near the window and low to the ground
    • Keep a wet cloth over your face to help with breathing if there is smoke

Severe Weather

A severe thunderstorm watch indicates that conditions exist for a thunderstorm to develop, and a tornado watch indicates that conditions exist for a tornado to develop.

You should monitor the weather outside and listen to news media outlets as conditions develop for further warnings.

A severe thunderstorm warning indicates that the storm is in the local area and could produce heavy rain, hail, lightning, and strong winds. You are encouraged to shut down and unplug all unnecessary electronic devices in case of a lightning strike and seek indoor shelter immediately.

A tornado warning indicates that a tornado has been sighted or indicated on the radar in the local area. You should seek shelter immediately by moving to the lowest level interior hallway, away from windows and glass. Sit on the floor and use what is available to protect yourself from possible flying debris.

Safe areas on campus during tornado warnings:

Administration Building

  • Basement storage under entrance steps
  • Basement vault, restrooms and janitor’s closet
  • Along interior walls

Fine Arts Center

  • Music wing hallways and interior practice rooms, corners in the main hallway and restrooms
  • Overflow into Room 141

Franz Art Center

  • Jewelry / Metals shop area along walls (concrete common wall)

Goering Hall

  • Basement hallway

Kauffman Museum

  • East end near kitchen, restrooms and hallway

KIPCOR

  • Basement

Krehbiel Science Center (KSC)

  • Lower level basement hallway

Leisy House

  • Basement

Maintenance Building

  • Go to the heating plant tunnel
  • Interior offices and men’s restroom

Mantz Library

  • Ground level restrooms and hallway along walls

Mennonite Library and Archives

  • Basement restrooms and hallway by Audio Visual

Memorial Hall

  • Basement restrooms, cardio room and hallways along walls

Schultz Student Center

  • Seminar Rooms B, C, and D, as well as the interior hallway by Seminar rooms
  • Restrooms

Student Housing Locations

  • Haury Hall – Basement hallways and basement lounge away from windows
  • Voth Hall – Lower level interior hallways away from windows
  • Warkentin Court – North and south basement laundry/rec room areas

Thresher Gym

  • Locker and shower rooms
  • West end restrooms as a last resort

Thresher Stadium

  • Restrooms under stadium

Will Academic Center (WAC)

  • Lower level hallway (original building)

Bethel College Active Shooter Protocol (ALICE)

Bethel College uses ALICE training which is an acronym for steps to take when in this type of emergency situation. This approach to active shooter training is also used by both North Newton and Newton Police Departments as well as the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department.  

Alert

  • Initial awareness of an event – could be gunfire, screams, loud noises or notifications of an event happening via text message or phone call

Lockdown

  • Best option when you cannot evacuate the area
  • Lock and barricade the door with anything available (chairs, furniture, etc.) 
  • Spread out in the room and do not huddle together which creates an appealing target for the shooter
  • Turn off lights and cover windows if possible
  • Call 911 if it is safe to do so

Inform

  • Pass along information to 911 and others on campus such as the description of assailant(s), type of weapon used, and location of the incident

Counter

  • It is about taking back control, not fighting
  • This is a personal choice and used only as a last resort
  • Consider countering if the shooter comes into the room before you can barricade the door, or if the barricade is breached
  • Distractions such as yelling as you move or throwing items in the shooter’s face can disrupt their thought process

Evacuate

  • Look for a safe route away from the danger
  • Move quickly, stay low and use cover

Please note that these strategies are not done in any particular order. This process is designed to select the best option for the current moment and your response may change as the situation develops. Also, as law enforcement arrives on the scene, they are in control and may give directions for you to follow.  It is important to remember that they are here to protect us and stop the immediate threat of danger which means they may not stop to care for wounded individuals until the threat is over.

Bomb Threat

An employee receiving a bomb threat via telephone should obtain as much information as possible from the caller. This may include voice, accent, gender, mood, background noises, exact words used, who the caller represents and why the college is a target. As soon as the call has ended, contact 911 and the President’s office immediately.  If you are able to keep the caller on the line talking, ask someone nearby to contact these entities for help. All bomb threats must be treated as real until proven otherwise. Building evacuations will be determined by emergency personnel or Bethel officials.

Building and Service Issues

As we know, many minor emergencies can happen with different buildings and resource services. These are just a few of the more common issues you may face.  In all of these situations, please notify maintenance immediately by calling 316-650-0137.

Electrical Power Failure

  • All buildings on campus are equipped with emergency lighting to aid in evacuation if necessary  If the outage happens during class time, the faculty member will determine if class can continue with the current limited resources.

Plumbing Failure or Flooding

  • Stop using all electrical equipment.  Turn off the source of the flow of water if possible and move any items you can to prevent damage.

Gas Leak or Smell of Gas

  • Stop all operations and evacuate the building immediately. Do not turn any electrical equipment or lights on or off.

Elevator Failure

  • If you are trapped in an elevator, use the emergency phone in the elevator to call for help.  If there is no phone in the elevator, you can use your mobile device to contact 911 for assistance.

Addressing the Media

Only authorized spokesperson(s) of Bethel College will meet or talk with the media. These people are the President and/or the Director of Marketing and Communication. Either of these individuals may delegate this role to another employee for a specific incident but no other Bethel employees are to speak to external persons, especially the media, on behalf of the college.

Weapons 

Employees are prohibited from possessing or carrying a firearm, ammunition or weapon while acting in the course and scope of their employment, either on or off Bethel College property, regardless of whether the employee has a permit to carry a firearm.

  • Firearm – is defined as a gun, whether loaded or unloaded, that discharges shot or a projectile by means of an explosive, a gas or compressed air (e.g. stun guns, airsoft, paintball, BB guns, spear guns, pistols, lasers, and Tasers)
  • Ammunition – shotgun shells, bullets, BBs, pellets, and other projectiles discharged from a firearm
  • Weapon – means hunting knives, retractable bladed knives with a fixed blade over 2.5 inches (used for any purpose other than cooking), daggers, machetes, bows and arrows, spears, clubs, swords, slingshots, and martial arts equipment
  • Other items or implements used for aggressive or violent purposes are prohibited
  • Firearms, ammunition or weapons may not be stored on Bethel property. This includes employee vehicles parked on Bethel’s property.

Employee Reporting Responsibility – an employee with a reasonable basis for believing an individual is in possession of or carrying a firearm, ammunition or a weapon in violation of this policy has a responsibility to report the suspected act in a timely manner unless doing so would subject the employee or others to immediate physical harm. Reports should be made to the employee’s supervisor or to an administrator of Bethel College. This policy shall not prohibit prompt notification to appropriate law enforcement authorities when an immediate threat to personal safety exists.  

Tobacco Free Environment 

Bethel College is a tobacco-free environment.  Smoking and the use of tobacco and related products is prohibited in all buildings and vehicles.  Smoking includes the use of any smoking device or equipment that includes but is not limited to cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), hookahs, marijuana, pipes, and vaporizers.  Employees and students may use tobacco only in the designated outdoor areas on campus and must utilize the designated receptacles for disposal.

Designated outdoor tobacco smoking areas are:

  • South side of Kidron Cottage
  • Between Voth Hall and Warkentin Court on the west side of the road