November 2023

Nov. 15, 2023

Dear UMB Community:

This month, I sent out a letter with safety tips as the days get shorter. I am proud to say that the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is one of the safest places to live, work, learn, and visit in downtown Baltimore. I invite you to read the letter to learn small steps to keep yourself and our community safe.

This week, we also celebrate World Kindness Week. At UMB Police and Public Safety, we strive to provide service excellence through respect, integrity, and kindness. We hope you will join us in serving our community — whether it be a smile, a kind word, volunteering your time, or donating to the UMB Staff Senate’s Thanksgiving Drive!

From UMB Police and Public Safety, we wish you a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Thomas Leone, MSL

Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police

Public Safety Update

Safety Tip: Place Valuables Out of Sight

Car break-ins are on the rise nationwide. When you leave your vehicle, make sure to put all items out of sight, including phone cords, spare change, shopping bags, and more. Secure items in your trunk or glove compartment or take them with you inside. Don’t forget to lock your vehicle!

Help Keep UMB Beautiful (and Healthy!)

With temperatures dropping, we have received reports of people smoking in doorways, stairwells, and close to buildings — even inside buildings! Per UMB’s Non-Smoking Policy, smoking should only occur in designated smoking areas. Please ensure that cigarettes are fully extinguished and properly discarded to keep our campus safe and beautiful! UMB provides smoking cessation programs free of charge to all faculty, staff, and students.

Serving Our Community

Help Us Name Private Pine’s Safety Campaign!

Private Pine, UMB Public Safety’s “elf recruit,” will be returning for his fourth year! This year, he’ll be offering his top safety tips each day in December. Private Pine needs your help in naming the campaign! Take our one-question survey to choose your favorite. Feeling punny? Suggest an alternative option!

Private Pine returns Dec. 1. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).

(Pictured: Private Pine getting his flu vaccine.)

Use Safe Walk and Safe Ride (and Remember Our Core Values)

Going home in the dark? Call for a Safe Walk! A uniformed UMB security officer will walk you safely to your destination on campus any time of day or night.

Need a lift? Our Safe Ride service is available from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. through the Mobile UMB App. Learn more about Safe Walk and Safe Ride.

Please remember our core values set of Respect and Integrity when using these services. Our security team is here to provide you with excellent customer service, but circumstances outside their control (e.g., inclement weather, traffic, construction) could cause a delay. Please be patient and kind. We’re all in this together!

‘Curieus Disintegration’ Exercise a Success

UMB partnered with the FBI and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security to host an exercise on how to respond to a potential threat of radiological material. The training opportunity included patrol/tactical response, fire/hazmat, hazardous evidence collection, and more for federal, state, and local partners. (Pictured: Exercise attendees speak with evaluators.)

UMB Public Safety by the Numbers: October

Each month, UMB Public Safety provides thousands of valuable services and resources to the communities we serve. In this segment, we highlight the previous month’s data to showcase the work of our employees.

Average time from Safe Ride request to pickup: 9 minutes, 30 seconds
Safe Rides given: 2,095
Safe Walks given: 47
Building checks: 2,756
Local business checks: 189
Garage checks: 874
Visitors logged: 13,208

UMB Office of the Fire Marshal

The UMB Office of the Fire Marshal is a part of UMB Public Safety.

Cooking Safety

Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity, and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the No. 1 cause of home fires and home injuries? You can prevent fires by following a few simple safety tips.

Public Safety Partners

Office of Emergency Management (OEM)

Emergency Preparedness Now Available Online

Learn what to do during an emergency, where to find life-saving equipment, and much more! You can start the training online now or request in-person training by contacting emergencymanagement@umaryland.edu.

Emergency Preparedness Training is one part of the Preparedness Pro digital credential. Learn more about our series of preparedness trainings at UMB, including Active Assailant, Stop the Bleed, CPR/AED, and Fire Extinguisher training.

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

EHS Offering In-Person or Video Help to Confirm Hazards and Members in Labs

EHS uses the SciShield (formerly BioRAFT) Laboratory Management platform for inspections, chemical inventories, hazard awareness, and training requirements. An essential component of this maintenance function includes keeping laboratory hazards and member profiles updated annually. You must positively confirm these items every year, even if nothing has changed.

Beginning in 2024, EHS will check if lab hazards and members have been updated. Be proactive and consult the EHS website for instructions on how to confirm hazards and members. If you need help in person or by video conferencing, reach out to ehsaudits@umaryland.edu to schedule a visit.