Safety
Housing and Residence Education is committed to maintaining a safe living environment for our residents.
The safety of our Ohio State community is the university’s top priority. We take that commitment very seriously as part of our role in providing students with the iconic Ohio State residential living experience in our residence halls across the entire university system and in our master lease properties adjacent to campus.
Our multifaceted approach includes:
-
Building access: Students may only access their residential facility by using their BuckID. Residence hall facilities are locked 24 hours a day and are equipped with card/mobile access on exterior doors. All guests (including families) must be accompanied by a resident at all times.
-
Security Cameras: Ohio State utilizes an extensive network of over 5,000 security cameras across our campuses. All residence halls including master leased properties contain security cameras at main entry points and other high traffic public spaces.
-
Public Safety Patrols: The Ohio State University Police Division and Central Campus Security Services manages routine patrols of the entire campus, including nightly residence hall patrols. Additionally, the university has contracted with private security to provide additional safety patrols at and around our master lease properties.
-
These staff members provide additional eyes and ears for safety concerns, offering resources and information while reporting suspicious activity.
-
Transportation Options: Several transportation options exist to help residential students navigate campus. All residential facilities, including master leased properties, are serviced by CABS on Demand, a service of Ohio State’s Transportation and Traffic Management. Students can use the Lyft Ride Smart program or free CABS On-Demand for late-night rides. Want to walk? Use Rave Guardian to allow friends or family to track your location as a virtual guardian as you walk around the campus area.
-
Stay Informed: The Community Crime Map consists of statistics from the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) and shows off-campus crime reports. Ohio State has pre-programmed the map to a one-mile radius to include the crime reports from the most recent 7-day period. The default crime categories are predetermined by Lexis Nexis. Users can also set up customized email alerts.
The person who is the most responsible for keeping yourself safe on campus is YOU! Being safe on campus is your personal responsibility. There are several preventative measures that you can take to help ensure that you have a fun and safe time on campus.
- Do not let anyone you do not personally know into the building, even if they tell you they are a resident or an Ohio State student. The only way to verify someone’s access level to a facility is for them to use their own BuckID or credential.
- Lock your door at all times when you are not in your room, even if you are just going down the hall to go to the bathroom.
- Escort your guests; it’s the rule and the easiest way to know who belongs in the residence hall.
- Do not leave messages on your door about when you will return or where you are.
- Always lock your car and do not leave any visible items inside your locked, parked car.
- Record serial numbers and descriptions of valuable property including bikes and electronics in case it is stolen.
- Do not put your address on or attach your BuckID to your key ring.
- Avoid walking alone, especially at night. Always walk in groups of two or more people.
- Use well-lit and heavily traveled pathways at night. Avoid alleys and other dark, confined spaces.
- Use the blue emergency lights around campus when you need help. They provide a direct line to the The Ohio State University Police Department.
- Call 9-1-1 if you have a serious emergency. Make sure you have the OSU Police Non-Emergency phone number in your phone: 614-292-2121
- Hall staff members, RAs and Hall Directors are always there to assist - contact them if you need help
A safety tips fact sheet is available online.
Emergency Procedures
Before an emergency, residents and staff should take the time to become familiar with their residence hall including the exits and alarm systems and practice their own emergency plans.
General procedures for a wide variety of types of emergencies can be found online.
Ohio State students and staff can access building specific procedures by looking at their Building Emergency Action Plan (BEAP).
If you require housing accommodations or have a disability and need assistance with developing your plan, please contact Student Life Risk and Emergency Management to develop an evacuation plan that will meet your needs. You can contact Teri Cugliari at cugliari.6@osu.edu or at 614-688-3287.
Fire Safety
- 100% of residence halls have supervised fire alarm systems monitored by the Department of Public Safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Additional information on fire alarm systems is located in the Annual Security Report.
- Fire systems in master leased facilities are also monitored 24 hours a day 7 days a week by private companies.
- When a fire alarm is sounded in a residence hall or master leased facility, hall staff will respond to investigate and assist in evacuation.
- All priority alarms in all facilities will result in emergency response by Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety or local fire resources. Residence Hall staff are trained in fire alarm operation/investigation techniques and evacuation assistance, as well as spotting fire hazards in the building, including policy violations such as unapproved cooking appliances, smoking, etc.
- Fire evacuation drills are conducted each semester in the residence halls in accordance with the Ohio Fire Code.
Additional Resources
Ohio State Department of Public Safety
Emergency Safety and Fire Prevention
Off Campus Community Crime Map