Staying safe on campus:
Security staff are only a call away

By Sarah George · The Mainstream
Published March 8, 2011

Public safety and what to do in the case of an attack is always a main concern for the community and UCC is no different. At UCC, Steve Buchko, Director of Security Custodial Services, is looked to protecting the students and has so far for eight years. 

In case of a campus attack, Buchko has set up what is called the Connect Ed network which is offered to students for free sign up. This network sends text messages, makes phone calls and provides other ways for security to contact a student or staff member in case of an emergency or a school closure. An active crawl is programmed to scroll across all computers on campus informing users with an emergency notification. Located on the hill by the TC center is an emergency siren that informs students what is going on and what they need to do in case of an emergency. It is programmed with a few different phrases and can easily be heard all over campus and in nearby neighborhoods.

“A few years back there was an incident with fellow making threats with a weapon,” according to Buchko, but UCC has no reports of an attack on campus.

Buchko was the only security staff that day to be on scene until the police arrived, and he had to wait with the suspect until the sheriff could find them. Minutes were wasted because the officer did not know the location of the call; all he knew was that the call was made from the administration building.

While waiting for the police, Buchko dealt with the aggressor, Buchko explains, “I talked him out of it.”

That event has made Buchko more prepared to be confronted in an aggressive situation and improvements to campus security were subsequently made.

Now, security lighting has been added and enhanced and also included in the improvements is 24 hr security in case a student feels uncomfortable. All the students or staff members have to do is call 440-7777 and the on duty security officer will walk or drive them to their car.

The campus has also created its own security network that starts with a single phone call by a staff member which then circulates quickly through the UCC phone system from desk to desk until someone picks up.

Previously, there were problems with the phones that led to the non-communication in Buchko’s confrontation a few years back.

In order to save time in an escalating confrontation, the local, county, and state police have a campus map

 In the case that a UCC student is attacked on campus, Buchko encourages students to contact 911 and then call security because all of the guards are trained to properly deal with a dangerous situation.