Contra Costa Community College District Police Officers Michael Hotton and Fernando Salamanca led a Campus Safety and Emergency Preparedness meeting for faculty and staff providing safety tips and information Monday in the Community Room, L-109.

District Police Chief Charles Gibson led the meeting off giving his simple formula for dealing with emergencies. “We get together, we decide what to do and we do it,” he said.

Getting together and deciding what to do has been something of a challenge for the Safety Committee. Although, the committee has existed for years the comings and goings of various police staff and other members has hindered the effectiveness of the group.

Director of Business Services Ronke Olatunji, who works with Hotton and Salamanca, has made it a point to revive the committee and work police services to create a seamless response to any dangerous situations on campus.

Hotton and Salamanca outlined some of the key things to keep in mind in the advent of an emergency. When reporting an incident it is important to remain calm, let the dispatcher know what you see and what is going on. Salamanca said being a good witness of any situation is one of the best ways people can help the police department. He also said a caller can always remain anonymous if they prefer.

When reporting an emergency, calling the correct number is important. The district police page defines an emergency as a situation where there is an immediate threat to lives or property. In these instances callers should dial 439-2181 ext. 3333. For non-emergency situations at LMC and the Brentwood Center call 925-439-2181 ext. 3228 or 439-1505.

Another stressed point was getting the information of crimes that happen on the college campuses posted as soon as possible. To access the reports go to 4cd.edu, click the Emergency Info link then go to the Alert Bulletins page. The bulletins page lists every incident that is reported throughout the district.

Aside from that, the 4CD Alert System lets anyone subscribe with their email to receive emergency information or other imminent safety concerns via any email account, or through texts on a phone. To sign up go to alerts.4cd.edu.

Throughout the meeting staffers also had a chance to sign up for CERT, the Community Emergency Respond Team. CERT is a training program that promotes the partnership of the police and the people they serve. The goal is to train interested personnel in basic safety response skills. There are over 100 members of CERT district-wide. For more information on CERT, contact officer Teddy M. Terstegge at 439-2181 ext. 3110 or [email protected].

During the meeting, a question was brought up about what to do during a classroom emergency where a phone is not near by. LMC President Bob Kratochvil said the new phone system to be installed in 2014 will not include classroom phones, but other avenues of communication are being explored. He added they are looking for ways to improve the poor cell phone reception inside the college complex.

For more information go to losmedanos.edu and select police services from the A-Z Index located near the top of the screen.