Housing Safety

Keep Yourself Safe At Home!

Security

• Get to know the people who live on your floor or in your apartment complex. When you're familiar with the faces and names, you'll recognize someone who is out of place more quickly.
• Never let a stranger into the residence hall or apartment complex.
• When you do see someone you don't know, ask him or her what they're doing. Questions such as, "Do you need any help?", "Who are you here to see," etc., will help keep everyone safe. Remember that the living community is your home, and you should never feel obligated to let someone you don't know into your home! If you suspect someone should not be in on-campus housing, immediately call University Police at 404/413-3333, 3-3333 from a campus phone or via an emergenct call box!
• Lock your room or apartment doors and windows. To protect yourself and your belongings, keep your doors and windows locked at all times, even if you just go down the hall for a few minutes.
• Engrave expensive belongings with your name, or a driver's license number. This will help police recover your items if they do get stolen.
• Report any stolen item to University Housing staff or GSU Police immediately.
• NEVER prop the doors open! If a friend is coming over, arrange to meet him/her, or have your friend call you to come let them in. Propped doors allow anyone access to the community at night, and jeopardize everyone's safety.
• Walk with someone you know and trust. If you do choose to walk by yourself, let someone know where you are going if you can and when you expect to be back.
• Let your roommate or RA know when you plan to be gone from campus for awhile (i.e., a weekend or overnight). When your roommate or a staff member notices a student has been gone for a while, and nobody knows where he or she is, a missing persons report should be filed with the GSU Police Department.
• When you have a friend come for a visit, register your guest and let other people on your floor know about it. That way they won't think there is some strange person wandering around. Also make sure to follow the guest policy procedures outlined in the Residence Hall or Apartment Handbook.
• Know how to contact University Housing staff and GSU Police in an emergency. Keep these phone numbers posted near the telephone and add them to your 'contacts' in your cell phone.
• Keep a list of people to contact in an emergency in case you're ever involved in an accident, emergency situation, etc. This list could include your family, friends from home, friends at GSU, medical information, etc. Let your roommate know where this list is. In your cell phone, keep a list of emergency contacts under the heading of ICE (In Case of Emergency) or EMERGENCY. This will help friends or emergency response personnel get needed information quickly.
• Keep your online information confidential and do not post personal information that could compromise your safety online.

Fire Safety

• Fire safety is the residents responsibility. Inspect your dorm or apartment and communicate any fire hazards to University Housing staff or your landlord in writing.
• Most fires occur at night when apartments are most heavily populated.
• Smoking is the number one cause of fatal apartment fires. People drop cigarettes on furniture or in wastepaper baskets. Do not allow smoking in your apartment. If you do, provide them with large ashtrays and check behind furniture and check cushions before going to bed. Do not smoke in bed. Make sure cigarettes, pipes, etc. are extinguished before emptying ashtrays into the garbage.
• Do not leave paper or combustibles by heaters or open flames.
• Do not block exits.
• Explore your dwelling and identify all of the possible exits.
• Keep exit and stairway doors closed at all times.
• Never use an elevator in a fire. Use the stairs.
• Do not overcrowd your dorm or apartment with people or belongings. Your dorm or apartment should not exceed legal capacity.
• Make sure your apartment has safety devices such as smoke detectors and working fire extinguishers.
• Check for electrical hazards including worn electrical cords, overloaded extension cords and outlets, broken appliances, and exposed wiring or outlets.
• Do not run cords under carpets, over doors, over nails, or in high traffic areas.
• Use heavy duty extension cords.
• Make sure your apartment has smoke detectors outside of every bedroom (and inside if you sleep with the door closed). Change batteries twice a year and when they beep or die.
• Rooms, hallways, floors, special exits, etc. should all be equipped with smoke detectors.
• Follow the manufacturers testing and cleaning instructions for all smoke detectors. Test them at least once a month.
• Create an evacuation plan with your roommates. Post it in public places so your guests know it too. Decide upon a meeting place outside.
• Never re-enter a burning building. Let the fire department know if someone is left inside.
• Do not burn trash.
• Do not place space heaters near curtains, furniture, or plastics. They should be at least 3 feet away from other objects.
• Make sure space heaters are turned off and unplugged before leaving the room.
• If a breaker trips or a fuse blows, try to find out why before just flipping the breaker or replacing the fuse.
• If you have a fireplace, make sure it has a screen. Keep rugs, curtains, and fire starters away from the flame.
• Make sure nothing is stored by your heater or furnace.
• Extinguish candles and incense before you leave the room if you choose to use them.
• Do not leave the stove or oven on and unattended.