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Emergency procedures Personal safety Health and safety inspections
Environmental health and safety
Health and Safety
Emergency numbers
IUPUI Police Department: 317-274-7911
For assistance after hours, please contact the RA on duty for your community listed below. When leaving a message, please leave your name and phone number.
RA on duty
(9:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m. Monday - Friday and All Weekend)
Ball Residence: 317-220-3397
University Tower: 317-414-9929 or 317-414-2759
North Hall: 317-612-7022 or 317-612-7056
Riverwalk Apartments & Townhomes: 317-414-9825 or 317-414-2357
Being prepared for an emergency can be an important way to help promote a safe living and learning environment. Explore information about emergency preparedness, how to report a crime, bias incidents, and become familiar with the different ways we can promote a safe campus together by going to safe.iupui.edu.
Emergency procedures
Fires and fire alarms
You should evacuate the building any time the fire alarm sounds. Familiarize yourself with the fire safety instructions. In case of fire, activate the building fire alarm and exit the building.
Tornado and storm procedures
Tornadoes can occur any time during the year. The approach of severe weather may be announced by the Civil Defense Emergency siren, radio and television bulletins, IU Notify messages, or by the Residence Life Staff.
- A Tornado WATCH means tornado conditions exist in the area, and there is a possibility that one will develop.
- A Tornado WARNING means a tornado has been sighted in the area, and you should take cover immediately.
- In case of an approaching tornado, you should observe the following procedures:
- Move to the lowest floor that can be reached before high winds or a tornado strike.
- Sit in a central hallway; cover your face with folded arms.
- Stay away from windows and doors.
- If outdoors, move away from the tornado’s path at a right angle or, if there is not time to escape, lie flat in the nearest depression, such as a ditch or ravine.
- Listen to your RA or the RA on Duty as they will provide in the moment direction.
Armed assailant
We take any armed assailant situation extremely seriously. If you become aware of an armed assailant situation at IUPUI from IU Notify or from a Housing Staff Member then follow their instructions:
- If you are asked to “shelter in place,” then this means that you lock yourself into a secure location and do not leave or allow anyone entry into your location until the “shelter in place” has been lifted.
- If you are in on-campus housing, then you should stay in your room and not leave until IU Notify lifts the “shelter in place.”
- If you hear shots fired or see a person with a gun, then call campus police at 317-274-7911. Do not approach any individual with a gun or weapon.
- Residents who fail to follow guidelines may be subject to disciplinary action.
Pandemic and National Health Emergencies
You should follow all instructions provided by government health officials, the University, and Housing and Residence Life to ensure you can maximize your personal health and the health and wellbeing of those around you. Each health emergency will be different so the instructions may change from one event to the next. As new pandemic or health emergency policy or response information is available, information will be updated on our website and/or in the residential handbook. Immediate notifications will also be available on the Protect IU website, protect.iu.edu.
Personal health and safety information
Personal safety
After dark, you should walk in well-lit areas with at least one other person, or if possible, in a group. In case of an emergency, there are “emergency phones” available in parking garages, outside areas, and hallways of some campus buildings. The outside campus phones are identified by yellow boxes and a distinctive blue light above them. These provide free access for people on campus to request any type of assistance.
Students may obtain an IUPUI safety escort to their car or another building on campus by calling 317-274-SAFE (7233), 24 hours a day. If students run out of gas, have a dead battery, or flat tire, they may call for assistance at the same number.
Protection of people and property
You can assist in personal safety and protection of property by observing good safety practices.
- Lock your door when you leave your room/apartment.
- Lock your door even if someone is asleep in the room.
- Never leave doors propped open for any reason.
- Always identify visitors before you open the door.
- Keep all items of value, such as money, wallets, purses and jewelry, in a secure, out of sight location.
- Engrave valuable items with your name. Keep a record of all valuables, their description and serial numbers.
- Never loan keys or ID to anyone.
- Do not leave keys lying around in your room/apartment.
- If your key is lost or stolen, report it to the Office of Housing and Residence Life immediately.
- Report all thefts immediately to the IUPUI Police, your RA and/or the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
- Report to the Office of Housing and Residence Life all doors, locks or windows needing repair.
- Be suspicious of unknown persons loitering or checking doors in your living area. Note their description and call the IUPUI Police immediately.
- Require identification and authorization from repair or maintenance personnel wishing to enter your room or apartment.
Student property insurance
The University and Housing and Residence Life do not accept responsibility for loss, theft, or damage to property. It is strongly recommended that you obtain insurance coverage for your personal property. Homeowner’s, personal property or renter’s insurance may provide adequate coverage.
Health and safety inspections
To ensure the health and safety of all residents, health and safety inspections are typically completed at least two times each semester and residents are provided with at least 72 hours of advanced notice. Resident Assistants or other authorized University personnel conduct these inspections and check for general cleanliness, unauthorized appliances, presence of alcohol, and missing and/or damaged furnishings. Residents in violation of University policies may be fined or sanctioned.
Inspections of each space will be conducted by a Resident Assistant and/or professional housing staff member who will make a written evaluation. A copy of the evaluation will be left in the room/apartment. Repeated violations of health or safety standards may result in removal from University housing.
- If conditions are found that are out of compliance or require attention, the resident(s) will be asked to make the necessary corrections within 72 hours for a second inspection.
- If the same or similar condition(s) exist during the second inspection, an incident report will be written and investigated through the university conduct process or in cases of cleanliness issues, a fee may be assessed to have the area cleaned by HRL staff.
Health and wellness
If you are injured or become ill, you should visit the second floor of the Campus Center, 420 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202 CE 213, or call 317-274-2274.
For updated hours and billing information, please visit health.iupui.edu.
Contact information
Housing and Residence Life receives all information related to preferred name, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and degree pursuit directly from the Student Information System. Any updates related to changes in name, address, or phone numbers, should be updated via the "Personal Information (students)" link in one.iu.edu.
Emergency contacts
Residents are required to list an emergency contact via their initial housing application in the case that the institution needs to make notification or contact. This information would remain confidential and would only be accessible to authorized campus officials. Emergency Contacts would only be contacted in consultation with the Dean of Students Office and would relate to emergency or serious matters related to things such as health and safety. FERPA prohibits university officials from sharing information related to billing, grades, conduct, or other interpersonal relationships with people other than the student themselves or designees as determined by the resident, however there are exceptions to FERPA restricted information where information related to an emergency may be shared if it is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.
Students may, at any time, add an additional emergency contact to their housing record by visiting the Housing Service Center and selecting the ”Manage My Contacts” link.
Missing persons contact
Residents have the opportunity to add a Missing Persons Contact (MPC) which is separate from the emergency contact provided. The person listed would only be contacted in the event that you have been deemed missing by campus police or our local law enforcement agency. The Missing Persons Contact(s) will be registered confidentially and will only be accessible to authorized campus officials. A MPC may not be disclosed except to law enforcement personnel as part of a missing persons investigation.
If a resident is under the age of 18 and not emancipated, the institution must notify a custodial parent or guardian with 24 hour of the determination that a student is missing, unless directed otherwise by local law enforcement agencies.
Environmental health and safety information
IUPUI is committed to providing healthy living environments for all of our residents. Should a resident have concerns regarding the air or environmental quality of their unit, they should report these concerns to Housing and Residence Life. If evidence exists that there may be environmental issues, Housing and Residence Life may request that Environmental Health and Safety conduct an air and/or environmental quality test. If evidence does not warrant a test, but the resident still requests that a test be completed, the resident will be responsible for the costs associated with the test if the results do not indicate environmental quality issues.
Asbestos
OSHA Asbestos Standard Communication Hazard 29 CFR 1926.1101 (Sec K). An asbestos inspection was performed at the Ball Residence Hall and Ball Annex Buildings from December 1997 to January 1998 by the IUPUI Environmental Health and Safety Department. The purpose of the inspection was to be in compliance with the OSHA Communication of Hazards referenced above.
Environmental Health and Safety’s inspection encompassed all identifiable and accessible suspect asbestos containing material (ACM) throughout the Ball Residence Hall and Annex facility for purposes of determining location, friability, condition and where sampling was performed. A “friable” material is a material that when dry can be crushed, pulverized or reduced to a powder by hand pressure. The following materials were identified as friable or non-friable ACM based on the inspection, sampling and analysis:
- Pipe insulation and fittings
- Floor tile and mastic
- Steam system pipe insulation and fittings
- Fire rated doors
- Roofing materials
The above listed materials are found in various rooms and corridors. Asbestos pipe insulation can be found in the rooms, above ceilings, behind walls and in pipe chases.
Recommendations
The condition of the material was determined at the time of the survey. ACM conditions are subject to change based on physical and natural deterioration. Contact the Residence Coordinator if damaged ACM is found. The Asbestos Inspection Survey Report for Ball Residence Hall and Ball Annex is maintained at IUPUI Environmental Health and Safety and at the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
Bed Bugs
Bed bug issues arise at universities from time to time. We take all bed bug reports seriously and take immediate action. We do treat rooms for bed bug issues when we become aware that an issue could exist.
Specific information about bed bugs and our treatment protocol is as follows:
- Bed bugs do not show up in a room location randomly. Bed bugs are hitchhikers and they can attach themselves to one’s clothing/personal items without detection. Bed bugs are spread when they attach themselves to the personal items of a person who is staying or visiting for an extended period of time in a location where bed bugs are present.
- Bed bugs are flat, reddish brown, oval in shape, and about 3/16-inch long. These insects are approximately the size of an apple seed and often appear swollen and reddish. A majority of bed bugs time is spent hiding in clusters in cracks and crevices where they are sure to be hidden from plain sight. Due to their size, bed bugs can hide in various locations. Some of these locations include mattresses, box springs, tiny cracks and crevices, carpets, and wall borders.
- Bed bugs are NOT known to cause any diseases. They do bite, which could cause bumps and skin irritation.
Treatment:
Please notify us immediately if you believe you may have bed bugs in your residence hall room and/or if you notice any bites. You may notice that you have small bites that are all in a row or in a group in a small area on your body along with small drops of blood on your sheets. Upon notification of a potential bed bug issue we will immediately do the following:
- Interview the resident reporting the issue and any additional students who that resident has visited.
- If no bed bug activity evidence is discovered, we will install climb up monitoring devices for up to two weeks.
- If bed bug activity evidence is discovered, we will proceed with a heat and chemical treatment administered by our pest control company.
- Students will be relocated during the heat treatment process, but not before that process begins.
- Students are expected to fully follow our directions and instructions in order to eliminate the issue and to prevent spreading the issue to other room locations.
Prevention:
While it is impossible to completely prevent exposure to bed bugs, these precautionary measures can help minimize exposure and help with early detection:
- Keep rooms clean, orderly, and difficult for a bed bug to hide easily by cleaning and vacuuming 1-2 times/week, throwing away trash/garbage twice a week and keeping food items in plastic bins that are sealed and not in paper bags or cardboard boxes.
- Ensure that your laundry, linens and towels are cleaned by washing/drying your sheets and clothes on high heat one time per week, washing/drying your comforter on high heat once a month, keeping your bed made each day and tucked in tight around the corners and edges, and keeping clothes in a hamper or basket at all times.
Financial Impact:
Bed bug remediation is expensive and costs a minimum of $1,000 per treatment to effectively eliminate them from a room.
- We work closely with students to eliminate the issue and to make sure that they do not reintroduce bed bugs back into their room after our treatment.
- Students who have multiple bed bug incidents that require bed bug remediation or students who do not follow our instructions for treatment will be billed for the cost of remediation treatment.
Lead-Based Paint
Pursuant to federal law (24 C.F.R. Part 35 and 40 C.F.R. Part 7450), beginning September 1996, the Office of Housing and Residence Life must disclose any known lead-based paint hazards when leasing non-exempt residential property built prior to 1978. Disclosure of Information on Lead-Based Paint and/or Lead-Based Paint Hazards is listed below.
Lead Warning Statement: Housing built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Lead from paint, paint chips, and dust can pose health hazards if not managed properly. Lead exposure is especially harmful to young children and pregnant women. Before renting pre-1978 housing, leasers must disclose the presence of known lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards in the dwelling. For more information about lead-based paint, please visit epa.gov/lead.
Lessors Disclosure
- University Tower, North Hall, Riverwalk Apartments, and Townhomes- Lessor has no knowledge of lead-based paint hazards in the housing.
- Ball Residence Hall: Lessor has knowledge of lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards in the housing. Lead-based paint may exist, in limited quantities, in non-refurbished areas within Ball Residence Hall. For detailed information regarding the locations, please visit the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
Storm Water Notice
Storm water runoff can accumulate pollutants such as oil and grease, chemicals, nutrients, metals, and bacteria as it travels and has the potential to carry contamination associated with construction activities, facilities maintenance, accidental spills and illegal dumping to nearby streams and rivers. Heavy precipitation or snowmelt can also cause sewer overflows that may contaminate water sources with untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and other debris. Never dump trash or chemical products, including waste engine oil, into storm drains! Many of the drains on campus lead directly to Fall Creek or White River. Report any signs of improper chemical disposal or storm water discharges by calling 317-274-7911. Campus safety officials will respond and investigate your concerns.