It takes everyone working as a team to keep our campus safe.John McAvoy, Campus Safety Chief
Lynn University’s Department of Campus Safety is committed to providing the safest environment possible in which to learn, live and work. The department fulfills this commitment through continually addressing campus and community safety, providing programming and remaining current on all federally mandated reporting requirements, crime prevention initiatives and technological solutions.
Please direct comments and questions to the Department of Campus Safety at +1 561-237-7226.
Read the safety guide
Campus Safety
+1 561-237-7226
Emergency services
911
Methods of notification
Official emergency communication platforms include and are not limited to: lynn.edu/alert; voice, email and text alerts; desktop messaging; an outdoor public address system and alert beacon devices (flashing lights with spoken messages). Update emergency contact information at my.lynn.edu.
Public address system
The outdoor alert system notifies the outdoor campus community of immediate, imminent and/or ongoing threats to the campus or community members. It is also used to inform of an external threat that requires a campus-wide reaction: campus lockdown, evacuation, etc. The system sounds horns and repeats a spoken message.
Lightning detection horn
This system detects lightning within 2.5–5 miles of Lynn’s campus. One long horn blast indicates that all individuals who are outside, including those on intramural and athletic fields, must cease activity and seek shelter indoors. Three short horn blasts sound when the lightning is clear from the local area.
Other equipment
Fire detection devices, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices and other preventative and responsive equipment is located within campus buildings. For more information, contact Campus Safety or designated building captains.
There is no one-size-fits-all response for emergencies. Here is guidance for three of the most common emergency types.
Medical emergency
- Remain calm.
- Call Campus Safety or 911.
- Provide first aid if you are able or certified.
- Follow directions from emergency personnel and Campus Safety.
Fire emergency
- If you detect smoke or fire, yell “fire!”
- Pull the nearest fire alarm.
- Leave the area. Close doors behind you along the way and assist anyone who needs help.
- Call Campus Safety or 911 when it is safe to do so.
- Follow directions from emergency personnel, Campus Safety and other authorities.
- Do not return to the building until directed by Campus Safety.
Lockdown
- Immediately cease all activities.
- Find shelter. Go to the nearest room or office. Avoid open areas.
- Remain calm and quiet.
- Secure yourself and others. Where possible, close, lock and barricade the doors.
- Turn off the lights. Close curtains/blinds and turn off light-emitting electronics.
- Silence your phone.
- Take cover. Hide behind walls or furniture. Stay away from windows and doors.
- Stay where you are.
- Follow instructions. Emergency personnel or Campus Safety will notify you when it is safe to evacuate.
Individuals with mobility challenges are encouraged to contact Campus Safety and shelter in a safe place until assistance arrives.
Severe weather can occur with little or no warning. When time permits, Campus Safety will activate official emergency notification channels to inform the campus community about procedures to follow. In the absence of university notifications, employees are expected to keep safety top-of-mind.
Lightning
Cease all outdoor activity and seek shelter indoors when the horn issues one long blast.
Remain indoors until the horn issues three short blasts for “all clear.”
Tornado
- Seek shelter indoors immediately.
- Close exterior doors and windows.
- Go to a safe interior room or hallway.
- Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
- Do not go outdoors until advised by university or emergency personnel that it is safe.
Hurricane
Campus Safety and university administrators will activate necessary protocols.
All pre-, during and post-storm guidance will be available at lynn.edu/alert.
Always inform Campus Safety or 911 of any injuries.
Administer first aid to persons in need, if it is safe to do so.
Resources
- Register for AlertPBC and CodeRED notifications at myboca.us.
Stay informed via local media and nhc.noaa.gov.
Threats, whether real or perceived, on campus or online, pose a safety risk to our community. If you see something, say something.
To report a live or imminent threat:
- Call Campus Safety or 911.
- Provide as much information as possible:
- What is the threat
- The location
- Who is involved
- Type of weapon involved, if any
- Your name, location and phone number
- Follow all further emergency notification instructions.
To report concerning comments or behavior*:
- Call Campus Safety or complete a Concerned Persons Report.
- Provide as much information as possible.
- Include evidence, such as screenshots, if possible.
*Use this option only if the individual(s) is not an immediate threat to themselves or others.
Threats may be received by phone, email, social media or physical letter/package.
To report an in-progress or imminent incident:
- Stay calm.
- Call Campus Safety or 911.
- Provide as much information as possible:
- Type of threat
- Person/party claiming responsibility for threat (if known)
- Exact words used or message received
- Follow all emergency notification instructions.
If you receive a telephoned bomb threat:
- Maintain composure.
- Get as much information from the caller as possible.
- Try to ask the following questions:
- When is the bomb going to explode?
- Where is it right now?
- What does it look like?
- What kind of bomb is it?
- What will cause it to explode?
- Did you place the bomb?
- Keep the caller on the line and record everything that is said.
- Note characteristics of the caller’s voice (gender, age, education, accent, etc.).
- Pay attention to background noise and distinctive sounds (machinery, traffic, other voices, television, etc.) that may be on the caller’s end.
- If the threat was left on your voicemail, do not erase it.
- Call Campus Safety or 911 immediately.
- Follow all emergency notification instructions.
If you receive a suspicious package:
- Do not touch or move the suspicious package.
- If safe to do so, leave the room and close the door or block entrance to prevent others from entering.
- Call Campus Safety or 911 immediately.
- Follow all emergency notification instructions.
Violent incidents, including but not limited to assaults and incidents of workplace violence, can occur on campus with little or no warning.
To report a live or imminent incident:
- Get to a safe place.
- Call Campus Safety or 911.
- Provide as much information as possible:
- What is happening
- The location
- Who is involved
- Type of weapon involved, if any
- Your name, location and phone number
- Follow all further emergency notification instructions.
To report a past incident:
Call Campus Safety to understand options and processes for reporting or formally resolving the incident.
In the event of an emergency:
- Stay calm.
- Follow all emergency notification instructions.
Always inform Campus Safety or 911 of any injuries.
Administer first aid to persons in need, if it is safe to do so.
A civil protest commonly will take the form of an organized public demonstration of disapproval or display disagreement with an idea or course of action. In many cases campus protests such as marches, meetings, picketing and rallies will be peaceful and nonobstructive.
If you observe a peaceful and nonobstructive protest:
- Do not attempt to disrupt or interfere with it.
- Call Campus Safety if an officer is not present.
- Follow all official university notifications and instructions.
If you observe a disruptive protest:
- Get to a safe place.
- Call Campus Safety or 911.
- Follow all emergency notification instructions.
Signs that a protest is disruptive:
- It disturbs the normal operations of the university.
- It obstructs access to offices, buildings or other university facilities.
- It poses a threat to do physical harm to persons or damage to university facilities.
- A demonstration inside university buildings or structures.
- Unauthorized entry into or occupation of any university room, building or area of the campus. This includes at an unauthorized time, or unauthorized or improper use of any university property, equipment or facilities.
An active shooter is a suspect or assailant whose activity is immediately causing serious injury or death and has not been contained. Active shooter situations demand an immediate response by the community and law enforcement to stop the shooting and prevent further harm.
Do not attempt to resolve the situation.
To report an in-progress or imminent threat:
- Get to a safe place.
- Call Campus Safety or 911.
- Provide as much information as possible:
- Location of the shooter
- Number of shooters
- Physical description
- Type and number of weapons
- Number of potential victims
- Follow all emergency notification instructions.
If possible to do so safely, RUN.
- Evacuate as fast as you can.
- Help others escape if you can.
- Leave belongings behind.
- Keep your hands visible.
- Call 911 when you are safe.
If exiting to safety is not possible, HIDE.
- Find shelter out of the shooter’s view.
- Lock the door, and block entry to your hiding place.
- Silence your phone and remain quiet.
- Do not move until informed by university or emergency personnel that is it safe.
If you’re trapped and the shooter enters your room, FIGHT.
- Fight as a last resort only.
- Attempt to incapacitate the shooter.
- Be aggressive—commit to your actions.
- Improvise weapons and throw items.
When first responders arrive, remember:
First responders will not stop to help injured. Rescue teams will follow officers.
- Remain calm and follow instructions.
- Drop anything in your hands.
- Raise hands and spread fingers.
- Keep hands visible at all times.
- Avoid pointing, screaming or yelling.
- Do not approach or hang onto the officers for safety.
- Do not ask questions—just proceed in the direction from which the officers are coming.
Always inform Campus Safety or 911 of any injuries.
Administer first aid to persons in need, if it is safe to do so.
To request an active shooter training, contact Campus Safety.