Be Prepared

Knowing how to respond during an emergency is crucial to your personal safety and the well-being of those around you. Explore the information for specific hazards.

National Weather Service Resources

National Weather Service-Corpus Christi Forecast

National Hurricane Center

NWS Severe Weather Prediction Center

National Weather Service Safety Tips

Your Role in Staying Safe

While UHPD does everything we can to ensure that the campus is safe and secure, it is you who plays the most important role in your own safety. Below are a few tips that will help you to take ownership of your personal safety. If you have any questions on topics that you do not see covered here, or you would like to schedule a crime prevention presentation for your office or group, please contact our 361-570-4357 (HELP) for information.

Personal Safety — Be Prepared

By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce the risk to yourself and also discourage those who commit crimes.

Always be alert and aware of the people around you.
Educate yourself concerning prevention tactics.
Be aware and avoid of locations and situations which would make you appear vulnerable to crime.
Never do anything or go anywhere where you do not feel safe! You intuition is your best guide of what may cause you harm. Listen to it.
Walk on well-lit paths. Take the most traveled route to and from classes. Walk with others if possible, especially at night, or take advantage of Security Escorts.
Go easy on the alcohol. Approximately 1700 students die from alcohol-related injuries each year. Alcohol often plays a role in acquaintance and date rape. Drinking too much may impair your judgment and make you less aware of your surroundings.

Street Precautions

Be alert to your surroundings and the people around you—especially if you are alone or it is dark.
Whenever possible, travel with a friend.
Stay in well-lighted areas as much as possible.
Walk close to the curb. Avoid doorways, bushes and alleys where someone could hide.
Walk confidently at a steady pace.
Make eye contact with people when walking.
Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the street—continue walking.
If you carry a purse, bag or otter items of value, hold it close to your body; if a wallet, keep it in a front pocket.
Don't hold your phone in your hand while you walk, put in a pocket or bag where it isn't visible.
Do not use or wear anything that will impede your vision or hearing (i.e. earbuds).
When possible, walk with a friend.

Car Safety

Always lock your car doors after entering or leaving your vehicle.
Park in well-lighted areas.
Have your car keys in your hand so you don't have to linger before entering your car.
Check the interior of your vehicle for intruders before entering your car.
If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place or a police station.
If your car breaks down, open the hood and call for roadside assistance. If someone stops to help, stay in your locked car and ask them to call the police or a tow truck service.
Don't stop to aid motorists by the side of the road. Make a phone call requesting help for them.

Office Security

Never leave your purse or wallet in plain view or in common accessible areas.
Don't leave cash or valuables at the office.
If you work alone or after business hours, keep the office door locked.
If you work late, try to find another worker to walk out with you, or use the Security Escort Program.
Be alert for pickpockets on crowded elevators.
Report all suspicious persons and activities to the proper authorities.
Be aware of escape routes for emergencies and post the police and fire department numbers near telephones.

UHPD recommends that all students, faculty, and staff members take a moment and enter emergency contact information in their cell phone address book/contacts under the acronym ICE (In Case of Emergency). This would assist public safety officials in contacting the person to be called in the event of an emergency if you are ever discovered unconscious or incapacitated and unable to communicate.

You should enter at least two ICE contacts with first name and relationship in your address book/contacts list. For example, your ICE entries could be: ICE - Sondra (mom) and ICE - John (brother). These entries could also be used to assist in returning your cell phone in the event that it is lost or stolen.

Entering these contacts into your cell phone should not replace the carrying of other photo identification (UH ID or license) at all times. You should also affix emergency contact information to these forms of identification.

Time Change- Spring Forward and Fall Back

When do we change our clocks?

Daylight Savings Time begins, in the United States, at 2a.m. on the second Sunday of March.

Standard Time returns, in the United States, at 2 a.m., on the first Sunday in November.

To remember what to do when you change times:

In March-Spring Forward, to daylight savings time.

In November- Fall Back, back to standard time.

Safety at Home:

Change the batteries in your smoke detectors at your house.
If the smoke detector is over 10 years old, replace it.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors are replaced every 5 years.
Spring and Fall are great times to clear the house, garage, and storage buildings.
1. Remove old chemicals and check with your city to find out how to remove the hazards from your home. (Be sure you check with the city to ensure you are following adopted guidelines.)
2. Clear debris, storage, and clutter out of your garage and storage areas to reduce the amount of material that could burn if a fire started.
Fall- have your heater checked and serviced to ensure it is working properly and dust collection is removed.
Spring- have your AC checked and serviced to ensure debris is removed from the outside unit, hoses are intact, and electrical connections are not in need of repair.
Spring or Fall- prepare you vehicle. Since the weather changes, you need to be ready.
1. Have a safety kit prepared with first aid supplies, non-perishable foods, blankets, and flashlights.
2. Be prepared for the worst-case scenario and be prepared to help your family.
Expired Medications:
1. Be sure to follow the proper steps to remove expired or unused medications from your home.
2. Medications change and collect in the medicine cabinet but need to be removed from the home to reduce confusion and intaking the wrong medication.
3. Check with your local pharmacy and find out what steps may be taken to remove the medications and reduce the risks of overdose or physical affects from medications stored in your cabinets.
4. Elderly family members may have extra medications that need to be removed in order to keep them medicated properly and reduce the risk of confusion and taking the wrong medication.