Durham College campus safety programs give students several ways to request an escort, summon security or receive first aid at the school’s Oshawa and Whitby locations.
The Chronicle, Durham College’s student newspaper, highlighted the services in an October 10 report following Campus Safety Week.
Campus Walk offers escorts after dark
The Campus Walk Program is available from September through the end of April. Students who feel nervous walking to a vehicle, bus stop or another campus building can ask security whether a Campus Walk member is on duty to accompany them.
Peter Trimble, Durham College’s director of Campus Safety, told the Chronicle the escort service becomes especially useful as daylight hours shorten during the fall and winter terms.
The program gives students an option before they begin an uncomfortable walk rather than requiring them to wait until a situation becomes an emergency.
Code Blue stations connect directly with security
Red cylindrical Code Blue stations with blue lights are installed outdoors and in parking areas at both campuses. Pressing a station’s button sends a call to campus security.
The units are intended for people who feel unsafe, afraid or in need of help in an outdoor campus area. Students and visitors can identify the stations by their red body and blue light.
Durham College also provides campus security contacts and safety information through its official campus-safety page.
Student volunteers provide advanced first aid
The Campus Emergency Response Team, known as CERT, is staffed by student volunteers. Team members are trained as First Responders or Emergency Medical Responders through the Canadian Red Cross and can provide advanced first aid when needed.
The program adds trained peer responders to the college’s safety network while giving participating students practical emergency-response experience.
Equity office offers support
The Chronicle also reported that students who feel targeted because of their gender or ethnicity can seek support from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Gordon Willey Building.
The article placed the local services in a wider discussion about safety concerns at post-secondary institutions, including concerns reported by Jewish and 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
The current Durham College campus safety information covers preventive escorts, emergency communication, first aid and equity support rather than a specific incident on either campus.
