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College Safety Tips Porterville College

Stay Safe Campaign

College

It’s a time when you’re allowed to stretch your adult wings and become more independent. Your parents no longer call the shots. You’re the one who gets to choose the time of your classes where you want to live, and ultimately your future path. It’s a safe place to practice becoming an adult, but it’s not always a place that’s safe from the bad intentions of other people.

It’s important to balance your newfound independence by keeping yourself safe. Whether you’re a college freshman or a seasoned vet, there are ways to keep yourself healthy and safe on campus. We have a few tips to do just that.

Get the KCCD APP

If you are returning to campus for in-person classes, you will need to complete a daily health screening and then do contact tracing throughout the day with the KCCD App.

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PC Alert

Porterville College's emergency notification system, called PC ALERT, will enable us to communicate with you quickly in the event of an emergency. The PC ALERT system will alert and provide pertinent information and instructions to students, faculty, and staff via voice, e-mail, and text messages to the phone numbers and e-mail addresses on file.

Your contact information is automatically loaded into the Connect-Ed system using the data you have previously provided for admissions and registration and stored in our database. It is important that you keep this information up-to-date so that you will receive Alert messages. To update your contact information, log into MyBanWeb and select Personal Information from the menu. You can update your contact information at any time.

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PC Timely Care

PC Timely Care provides 24/7 Virtual Medical and Mental Healthcare for Students. In addition, check out PC's CampusWell for helpful information and articles to improve your health and build a healthy lifestyle.

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Keep informed on COVID-19 Updates and Notices

Keep informed on the latest updates and notices by visiting the following sites:

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Learn About Your Campus Safety

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Porterville College utilizes multiple safeguards in keeping our campus community safe. PC Office of Public Safety consists of a Safety and Security Manager, a Public Safety Officer II, and Professional Experts. The department hires officers with prior law enforcement and security backgrounds. Additionally, they receive specialized training in campus police and safety operations.

As an additional layer of security, PC has strategically placed HD cameras around the campus to assist with security needs.

Porterville College has partnered with the Porterville Police Department to have a School Resource Officer assigned to the campus to increase security and safety on campus. PC is always looking for ways to improve the safety and security of students, staff, and community members.

Services Offered:

  • Safety and Security Training Campaigns
  • Providing Safety Escorts (cars, buildings, class)
  • PC Alert Emergency Communication
  • Responding to emergencies and non-life threatening situations
  • Parking lot safety & enforcement
  • Providing public assistance
  • Locking and unlocking facilities
  • Writing incident reports
  • Recovering lost and found property
  • Developing and implementing emergency evacuations and procedures
  • Ensuring compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act.
If you see something, say something, do something

Avoid Walking Alone

The buddy system is handy indeed. Walking across campus can be dangerous, even if its the middle of the day. There are plenty of places to lurk or hide, and sketchy people are way less likely to prey on you if you’re with a group of people. Walking in a group will help keep your friends safe as well. This is especially important if you’re going out at night.

Lock Your Doors...Car...Dorm...Apartment

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth reiterating: when you’re in your car, dorm room, apartment, or otherwise, lock your door. You never know who may be around the corner jiggling door handles. When you leave, lock your door. You may feel safe in your well-lit apartment, and you probably are, but there’s always a chance that leaving your door unlocked will allow sketchy characters access to your personal space. Don’t risk it. Take the time to lock your doors and you’ll be much safer for it.

Social Media

Be Smart About Social Media Presence

Chances are good you have at least one or two social media accounts, possibly more if you have a campus-specific social profile. While social media is intended to share pictures with friends and the places you’re visiting, it’s not always safe. In an environment like a college campus, you need to be more conscientious about your surroundings – and telling everyone your plans can leave you vulnerable.

Choose the right settings to keep yourself safe. Turn off your location. Be careful about checking in on social media. If you can, set your chat settings to block people who you aren’t familiar with. Think of it as today’s version of “Don’t talk to strangers.” If you don’t know who the person is, don’t confirm any private information and never agree to meet someone you don’t know in a private residence or other unfamiliar places. If you have to take that chance, take a friend with you and always meet in a busy public space.

PC has a beautiful open campus

Learn the Inns and Outs of the Campus

College campuses can be massive expanses of buildings, parking lots, green spaces and other learning spaces. If you aren’t familiar with where you’re going or what building is where, it’s time to learn those things. Knowledge is power, even in this case, and if you know what areas may be dark at night or can spot things that seem out of place, you’ll be safer for it.

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Trust Your Gut

If something doesn’t feel right to you, follow your instinct. “Trust your gut” is a saying for a reason, and that innate sense is there to keep you safe. It doesn’t matter if the feeling stems from peer pressure to do something you don’t feel comfortable with or you’re just a strange feeling about a situation — whatever the circumstances, you should trust that feeling and leave. Don’t worry about other people’s feelings. Keep yourself safe instead.

Communicate Your Plans

If you’re going out, make sure someone else knows where you’re going and who you’re going with. It might be worth telling your roommate where you’re going, even if it’s just to your mid-morning class. If someone knows where you are, there will be a place to start looking in case you go missing.

Party Safety

Party Like a Pro

That doesn’t mean being a pro at keg stands. What we mean is that you should make sure you’re prepared and educated on how to keep yourself safe at parties. If you are of legal age and decide to drink, don’t let your drink out of your sight. Don’t accept drinks from other people — drink what you brought with you or mixed yourself instead.

Make sure you’re keeping your alcohol intake in check. Let loose, but don’t go overboard. If you do, make sure you have a trusted friend with you who can help you get home safely and protect you from potential predators. Make sure you’re that person for other people, too.

Stretch the Truth if You Need To

Does the person you’re on a date with creep you out? Do you feel unsafe at the bar with your friends? It’s OK to lie to get yourself out of situations that make you uncomfortable for any reason at all. Don’t worry about getting caught in a lie; worry about getting out of there.

Who cares if your little white lie comes to light afterward? At least you’re safe and out of a situation that could have turned dangerous. If you need to, you can lie to get your friends out of a sticky situation, too. They’ll thank you for it.

Keep Your Phone Charged and With You

You never know when you might need to make an emergency call, either for you or a friend. The easiest way to do that is to make sure your phone is charged and easily accessible before you leave your dorm or apartment.

If your phone isn’t charged, stay home until it is. Better late than sorry. While you’re at it, make sure you load emergency numbers and emergency contacts, like your parents or guardians, into your phone.

Adding the campus security line is a good idea, too. You may not have time to search for it in an emergency, so make it as easy to access as possible.

PC Safety & Security phone line (559) 791-2440

Note: All charged wireless phones, even those not subscribed to or supported by a specific carrier, can call 911 (911.gov).

Stay Safe Campaign

Don’t Be Scared; Be Prepared

Don’t take these tips as reasons to be scared; take them as ways to be prepared. Keeping these campus safety tips in mind will help keep you safe and make your college years some of the best of your life.

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Created By
Todd Dearmore
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Created with images by nastya_gepp - "young woman young student" • BlenderTimer - "coronavirus corona virus" • S O C I A L . C U T - "untitled image" • JESHOOTS-com - "smartphone phone call"

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