An emergency can happen at any time. The information that follows offers guidelines for the Kenyon community on how to handle various dangerous situations. You can help by reading these guidelines and being prepared.
In an emergency, call the Campus Safety Emergency Phone Number at 740-427-5555 or Knox County Emergency Services at 911.
Campus Safety Non-Emergency Phone Number: 740-427-5000
For information on college closing and weather emergencies: 740-427-7007
Health Services: 740-427-5525
Counseling Services: 740-427-5643
Kenyon College RAVE Emergency Alerts go automatically to cell phones, land lines and email accounts. To sign up for the cell phone and/or land line alerts please follow this link to register: contact.kenyon.edu.
The Rave Guardian app can be downloaded from the iOS App Store or Google Play and provides several tools you can use to enhance your safety on campus:
Find out more about Rave Guardian.
There are twenty-nine (29) blue-light emergency-call boxes on campus. These stations immediately connect you with Campus Safety. Do not hesitate to use the call boxes for emergency assistance and information, medical assistance, fire alert, to report crimes, suspicious persons, vehicular accidents, or if you feel unsafe for any reason. There is no handset; simply push the button and begin speaking. You will be in two-way communication with a safety officer. If you are unable to speak, an officer will be dispatched to the call box location immediately. If you are unable to remain in the area, give your name and your intended direction of travel.
Threat to campus is vague and/or an event has occurred, or has the potential to occur. An event may have occurred in relative proximity to campus. No immediate action is required and the campus community will not be notified. All Campus events and services will continue to operate as normal. Campus Safety and/or KEPT will closely monitor the situation.
Unplanned event and/or incident that is not likely to threaten life or have a significant impact on the health or property of the campus community. A RAVE alert will be sent to the campus community with information and, if necessary, instructions. Specific campus events may be delayed or cancelled, but most campus events and services will continue to operate as normal. College personnel will manage the event/incident and care for community members. The duration of the incident is generally no more than a few hours.
Event and/or incident that impacts the life, health, and/or property of a specific area of campus community. A RAVE alert will be sent to the campus community with information and instructions. Incident may require a partial and/or short-term evacuation, or relocation of some community members. Specific campus events may be cancelled and campus operations may be temporarily limited to essential operations. College personnel need outside agencies to effectively manage the incident and care for community members. The duration of the incident is a maximum of eight (8) hours.
Large-scale event and/or incident that significantly impacts the life, health, and/or property of the entire campus community. A RAVE alert will be sent to the campus community with information and instructions. Incident may require a major evacuation, or relocation of community members. Campus events may be cancelled and services may be limited to essential operations. College personnel need outside agencies to effectively manage the incident and care for community members. The duration of the incident is unpredictable, but long-term effects are likely.
Specific response to a campus-wide threat where community members seek safety in a locked or secure space, and/or limit movement between and within campus spaces. Campus Safety will secure exterior doors that are part of the card access system and occupants of buildings not on the card access system will secure exterior doors and windows. Campus events will be cancelled and services will be limited to essential operations until the threat is under control. A RAVE alert will be sent to the campus community with instructions.
Response to a threat where exterior doors remain locked to limit access to and between buildings. This typically occurs when there is a threat to a specific area of, or in relative proximity to, campus. While normal movement is permitted within buildings, campus events may be cancelled and services may be limited until the situation is resolved. Community members with permission can use their K-cards to access campus buildings; those without permission will need to make arrangements to gain access. Buildings without card access will designate a staff member to coordinate access and ensure that exterior doors remain secure. Campus Safety and/or KEPT will closely monitor the situation and determine which events and/or services may be limited. A RAVE alert will be sent to the campus community with instructions.
Some emergencies will require you to remain inside. "Shelter in place" means staying put and, if possible, choosing a small room with as few windows as possible for refuge. To shelter in place:
1. Run
• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Leave your belongings behind
• Keep your hands visible
2. Hide
• Hide in an area out of the active shooter's view
• Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors
3. Fight
• As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger
• Attempt to incapacitate the active shooter
• Act with physical aggression and throw items at the active shooter
Call the Campus Safety emergency phone number at 740-427-5555 or Knox County Emergency Services at 911 when it is safe to do so.
• Remain calm, and follow officers' instructions
• Immediately raise hands and spread fingers
• Keep hands visible at all times
• Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as attempting to hold on to them for safety
• Avoid pointing, screaming or yelling
• Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating, just proceed in the direction from which officers are entering the premises
• Location of the victims and the active shooter
• Number of shooters if more than one
• Physical description of shooter/s
• Number and type of weapons held by the shooter/s
• Number of potential victims at the location
If you are taken hostage:
Sexual misconduct in any form is a serious violation of College and community standards, and it will not be tolerated at Kenyon. Sexual misconduct includes sexual harassment, non-consensual sexual contact, endangering the health of another person through a disease or condition that can be transmitted sexually, sexual exploitation and non-consensual sexual intercourse. Read more about Kenyon's Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy: Title IX, VAWA, Title VII and on- and off-campus resources at kenyon.edu/title-ix.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual misconduct, please contact:
In a medical emergency, call 740-427-5555 or 911.
Health and Counseling Center information:
Health Services Contact Number: 740-427-5525
Counseling Services Contact Number: 740-427-5643
Location: 104 Scott Lane (near Campus Safety)
Health Services Hours Of Operation:
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (open through the lunch hour).
Counseling Services Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed Noon - 1 p.m for lunch).
If you smell smoke or see flames, pull the nearest fire alarm immediately.
Campus Safety monitors weather conditions and issues Rave message alerts when severe weather threatens. Severe weather updates will be issued through Rave message alerts or through a landline message at 740-427-7007.
A tornado warning is the sounding of the emergency siren for three minutes followed by seven minutes of silence. A warning indicates that a tornado has been sighted or has appeared on radar in the local area.
If the siren sounds or if severe weather approaches:
It's Friday at noon. What's that noise? It's the tornado warning siren — just a test. If you hear the tornado warning siren and it's not Friday at noon, seek shelter. All is clear when you hear two 30-second signals separated by a thirty-second silence.
Power outages are not uncommon at Kenyon. When they happen, please stay safe: be careful when you have to move about in the dark, and keep away from downed power lines, fallen trees or damaged branches that might fall. Don't go outside during high-wind conditions. Provide assistance to others who may be unfamiliar with the space or have mobility restrictions. Turn off all electrical equipment. Do not use elevators. If instructed to evacuate, please proceed cautiously to the nearest clear exit. And be prepared: have a flashlight (and extra batteries) ready.
If you detect a fuel leak, evacuate immediately and then contact Campus Safety at 740-427-5555. Do not use electronic devices near the leak. Do not return to the area until permitted to do so. If time permits and you can do so safely, ventilate the area.
If you receive notification of any kind indicating that there might be a bomb on campus, get as much information as possible and notify Campus Safety immediately at 740-427-5555.
If you receive a written bomb threat, ensure the document is handled as little as possible, and pass it on to safety officers as soon as possible. If the written threat is received by electronic means, save it and call Campus Safety immediately.
If you receive a bomb threat on the telephone, calmly gather as much information as possible by keeping the caller on the line; ask for details about the bomb, and try to gather information about the caller (sex, age, location). Have someone else notify Campus Safety, and notify the office yourself once the call has ended. Write down all information.
After contacting Campus Safety, await instructions. Do not pull a fire alarm or evacuate a building on your own.
Signs of a potentially dangerous package include: excessive postage, handwritten or poorly typed addresses, incorrect titles, titles without names, no return address, misspellings of common words, excessive weight, lopsided or uneven packaging, visual distractions, oily stains or other discolorations, peculiar odor, ticking sound, protruding wires or aluminum foil, excessive security material, restrictive endorsements ("personal," "confidential") or a postmark that does not match return address.
What to do once a package has been identified as suspicious:
• Do not move or handle the package.
• Evacuate the area and call Campus Safety at 740-427-5555.
• If you witness a crime or become a victim of a crime or a sexual offense, seek aid immediately. Call the Campus Safety Emergency Line at 740-427-5555, or call from one of the 29 emergency blue light call boxes.
• If you observe a perpetrator commit a crime, do not block his or her avenue of escape. Instead, get a good description of the perpetrator, note his or her direction of travel and obtain vehicle information if pertinent.
• Do NOT follow the perpetrator. Let him or her leave the scene. If followed, the perpetrator may panic and cause you harm.
• Apply first aid procedures only if you have been trained to do so. Do NOT attempt to move severely injured victims. Do try to help victims by keeping them calm and comfortable. Prepare to report as much information as possible.
• If someone threatens to harm himself or herself, contact Campus Safety at 740-427-5555 for advice and additional support.
In order to ensure that students receive prompt and appropriate attention for alcohol intoxication or drug impairment and that there are no impediments to seeking such assistance, the College hereby institutes a Good Samaritan policy. In those instances in which a student calls the Office of Campus Safety or another College office for assistance with an intoxicated or impaired student, neither the individual calling nor the student in need of assistance will be charged with violations of the College's policies on alcohol and other drugs.
See the Student Handbook for more information, and for information about state and local laws governing the sale, consumption and use of alcohol and other drugs.
Individuals who need special assistance in an emergency (even temporarily) should plan in advance:
• Notify administrators in buildings you use regularly.
• Notify your community advisor.
• Identify two people to provide assistance in evacuating buildings and in notifying emergency personnel of your status.
• Do not hesitate to call 740-427-5555 to inform emergency personnel of your situation.
• If you are unable to evacuate on your own, and no assistance is available, try to get to the nearest exit stair or remain in your room.
• If you are unable to evacuate or call 740-427-5555, ask someone leaving the building to notify emergency personnel of your location.
• Do not let people into a locked building, residence halls or office unless you work with them or they have been properly identified. If the person gives you any problems, call Campus Safety at 740-427-5555.
• In the event that a suspicious person is seen on campus or suspicious calls are received contact Campus Safety immediately.
• ALWAYS keep the door to your room locked when you are working alone or whenever your are going to leave your room for any amount of time.
• Don't investigate a suspicious person or noise by yourself. Contact Campus Safety immediately.
• Keep a list of emergency numbers with you.
• Never walk alone at night. Walk in an alert and confident manner and pay attention to your surroundings.
• Choose the best lit, most traveled paths when walking.
If you notice a suspicious person or notice a suspicious vehicle on campus, please call Campus Safety immediately at 740-427-5555. You will be asked to give as much detailed information regarding the description of the person and/or vehicle. Remember, do not put yourself in harm's way and only get the information if it is safe to do so. Below are lists of details to make note of, if possible.
• Description of a person: Note the sex of the individual, race, age, height, weight, hair, eyes, complexion, scars, clothing (from head to toe), weapon, build (skinny, athletic, etc.), location last seen, direction of travel, unusual characteristics (glasses, beard, jewelry, tattoo's, etc.)
• Description of a vehicle: Note if is a 2-door, 4-door, van, truck, sports car, station wagon, motorcycle, other. Note the make of the vehicle, approximate year, full size, compact. What the color of the vehicle (top and bottom). Note the license plate number, state, and or license plate color.
• Also, look to see how many persons are in the vehicle (male and female).
Preparedness can make a big difference in your ability to cope with an emergency, and it's not hard to assemble a simple disaster-supply kit. Keep the following basic items in a place where you can find them easily should the need arise.
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio
• Drinking water
• Three-day supply of necessary medications, extra glasses, and other personal health essentials
• First-aid kit
• Emergency blanket (mylar)
• One complete change of clothing