Right to left: Police Sergeant Fernando Santiago, Fire and Emergency Services Associate Director Madonna Calderoni and Clery Compliance Director Moe DeLisi.
Communication is essential to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and is central to the work Drexel Public Safety (DPS) does to protect and engage with the community throughout the year, including preparing for a commencement successful next academic year. Of course, for safety communication to be effective, it must flow in both directions.
In this issue, prepare for a safe return to campus this fall by learning how DPS uses different communication methods to keep you informed and how you can connect with DPS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Plus: Meet Interim Vice President and Police Chief Bob Lis.
Meet DPS Interim Deputy Robert Lis
As announced last month, Bob Lees has assumed the role of interim vice president of public safety and police chief. Bob has been with Drexel since 2005, and in addition to this interim role, he also oversees the Drexel University Police Department’s Investigations Unit. Prior to his work with the University, he spent almost 35 years with the Philadelphia Police Department in various roles, including patrol, plainclothes policing, juvenile relief and special victims, and 17 years in the Detective Bureau.
Bob’s personal message to the community is that he is happy to follow in Eileen Behr’s footsteps and that he values the relationships he has built working with students, faculty, professional staff and community partners during his time at Drexel. In the coming months, Bob says he looks forward to building on those existing relationships and creating new ones.
Outside of Drexel, Bob enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, attending sporting events in Philadelphia, and exploring the city’s culinary scene on Friday nights. Most recently, he had the pleasure of attending his grandson’s graduation from the Philadelphia Fire Department.
3 easy ways to prepare for a safe fall term
Last August, Public Safety & U shared “7 Ways to Prepare for Fall Term,” and it’s still a great list of actions you can take (whether you’re on campus or not) to prepare for a safe start of the new academic year. For that matter, let’s take a deep dive into three simple things you can do now to prepare for a successful and safe fall season.
1. Familiarize yourself with Drexel’s Public Safety services
Drexel Public Safety consists of administrative and operational units that work around the clock to protect you on campus and provide safety tools and education to the Drexel community and surrounding neighborhoods. If you see DPS personnel on campus, be sure to stop by and say hi! The department consists of the following groups:
- of Drexel Police Department is staffed by Pennsylvania certified sworn police officers trained in many specialized services, including first aid and CPR, investigations, crime prevention and community outreach. Drexel police officers conduct foot, vehicle, and bicycle patrols (see patrol boundary maps on the DPS website), and they maintain relationships with other local law enforcement agencies and neighboring communities. Drexel Police also provide victim support services to those who are victims of violent crime.
- of Drexel Public Safety Communications Center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week as a full-service security and emergency center. If you have an emergency, need to report suspicious activity, want to request a walk-in escort, or have any other safety concerns, calling 215.895.2222 connects you to the Communications Center, where dispatchers will dispatch assistance.
- Allied Security Officers are contracted security personnel who patrol the University City, Center City and Queen Lane campuses by foot, bicycle and vehicle; ensure the security of fixed mail in campus buildings and at events; and offer walking escort services. Allied security officers do not have the authority to make arrests.
- of Fire and emergency services team works to ensure that all Drexel University campuses maintain comprehensive fire and emergency preparedness practices. This unit also advises and mentors the Drexel EMS student organization.
2. Save this emergency number in your phone: 215.895.2222
One of the first things every new and returning Dragon should do is make sure you have Drexel Public Safety’s emergency phone number, 215.895.2222, saved in your cell phone contact list. This number connects you to the Drexel Public Safety Communications Center, where a dispatcher will answer and send you help (you can also call 911 during any emergency). You can also call that number to request a walking escort. Calls placed on campus blue-light emergency phones are also immediately connected to the Communications Center, as are messages sent through the Drexel Guardian app.
3. Register for DrexelALERTs (or update contact information)
DrexelALERT is an emergency notification system that provides rapid delivery of crime and security alerts to Drexel students, faculty, and professional staff via text messaging and email (see next section for more details). The effectiveness of DrexelALERT depends on individuals providing accurate personal contact information. That’s why, at the beginning of each semester, students, faculty, and professional staff are asked to confirm and update their contact information when they log into DrexelOne. The Public Safety website has instructions on how to confirm or update your contact information. (Please note: New students will begin receiving alerts approximately six weeks prior to the start of their first semester.)
DPS Notification Guide: Why am I getting this alert?
Public safety advisories, crime alerts (timely alerts), and emergency notifications (Alerts) are the three primary methods Drexel Public Safety uses to communicate important safety information to the University community. Chances are you already get these notifications, but you might not always be sure why. To help demystify the process, DPS has created a Community Notification Guide on its website that explains what each notification is, why it can be sent, and how.
