How Campus Safety Responds to Incidents

Emergency? Call 911

In an emergency, always call 911 first. Call 911 for any immediate danger, violence, fire, or medical emergency. You can also notify Campus Safety at 425-352-5359. Calling 911 and calling Campus Safety are not mutually exclusive, and both can respond.

On This Page

• Who We Are
• Our Approach
• When to Call 911 and When to Call Campus Safety
• What Happens When You Call: Our Response Model
• What Campus Safety May Ask From You
• The Kinds of Incidents We Respond To
• Who Does What During an Incident
• Residential Village
• What You Can Expect From Campus Safety
• How Leadership Oversight Works
• On-Site and Remote Leadership Oversight
• How We Communicate During an Incident
• After an Incident
• Questions, Concerns, or Compliments

Who We Are

Campus Safety serves the shared campus of the University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College. Our officers are trained, non-commissioned campus safety professionals. They are not police officers and do not make arrests. Our job is to protect, support, connect, and gather information. We respond to safety concerns, help people who need assistance, bring in police, fire, or medical responders when a situation calls for them, and connect members of our community with the right campus resources.

We see Campus Safety as a partner in campus belonging and well-being. Most of what we do every day is service: safety escorts, welfare checks, first aid, help with a locked door, a calm presence when something feels wrong. When more serious incidents occur, we work alongside the Bothell Police Department, the Bothell Fire Department, and our campus partners so that the right responders handle every situation.

Our Approach

• Life safety comes first: Always, in every decision.
• Respect and dignity: For every person we serve, in every interaction.
• De-escalation: As our primary approach whenever circumstances allow.
• The right resources for the situation: Police, fire, medical, and campus support services are requested whenever they are needed.
• Care and connection: We link people with counseling, advocacy, housing, and other support resources.
• Accountability: Incidents are documented, reviewed, and used to improve how we serve the campus.

When to Call 911 and When to Call Campus Safety

When in Doubt

Not sure which to call? Call 911. Uncertainty is never a reason to delay. If you call Campus Safety first and the situation is an emergency, we will make sure 911 is activated and we can respond together with emergency services.

What Happens When You Call: Response Model

Every incident is different, and our response is always based on the circumstances, the information available, the level of risk, and the resources needed. But the general path is consistent, and knowing it can help you understand what to expect.

1. REPORT: An incident comes to our attention. A call, an in-person report, something an officer observes on patrol, or a request from a campus partner or emergency agency. The more specific the information you can share (location, what is happening, who is involved), the better we can respond.
2. RESPOND: Campus Safety Officers respond to the location and gather initial information. For emergencies, police, fire, or medical responders may also be responding at the same time.
3. ASSESS: Officers assess immediate safety concerns first. Is anyone hurt? Is anyone in danger? What additional resources are needed? Assessment continues throughout the incident as conditions change.
4. PROTECT: Officers take reasonable steps, within their authority and training, to protect people and maintain a safe area. That can include providing first aid, moving people away from a hazard, securing an area, or simply staying with someone until help arrives.
5. COORDINATE: Depending on the circumstances, we may bring in the Bothell Police Department, Fire/EMS, Residential Life, Facilities, Environmental Health & Safety, Emergency Management, counseling and advocacy resources, or other campus partners. When police or fire assume command of an emergency scene, Campus Safety supports them within the established incident command structure.
6. COMMUNICATE: When an incident may affect the broader campus community, established emergency communication channels may be used, including UW Alert messages and advisories, Alertus desktop notifications, the Campus Safety app, and the UWB website banner and blog. These channels provide timely information and protective actions when needed. Campus Safety Management coordinates incident communications through the Crisis Communication Team.
7. FOLLOW UP: Incidents are documented and, when appropriate, referred to the right department or agency for further action. For example, police for criminal matters, Student Conduct for conduct processes, SafeCampus, or support offices for ongoing care. Incident documentation also supports applicable campus safety and Clery Act reporting requirements.

What Campus Safety May Ask From You

When you contact Campus Safety, we may ask questions to help us understand what is happening and determine the appropriate response. Depending on the situation, we may ask for:

• Your location and the location of the incident.
• What happened or what you observed.
• Whether anyone is injured or in immediate danger.
• A description of the people, vehicles, objects, or circumstances involved.
• Whether weapons, fire, hazardous materials, or other immediate hazards are present.
• Whether the person or situation is still at the location.
• Your name and contact information so we can follow up if needed.

During an active incident, you may also be asked to follow emergency instructions, move away from restricted or hazardous areas, avoid interfering with emergency responders or emergency vehicles, and monitor official university and college emergency communications for updates.

You do not need to have all the answers before contacting us. Share what you know, follow any safety instructions provided, and do not put yourself at risk to gather additional information.

The Kinds of Incidents We Respond To

Campus Safety responds to a broad range of situations, large and small. Common examples include:

• Medical emergencies and injuries
• Welfare and wellness concerns
• Suspicious behavior, objects, or activity
• Disturbances and disorderly behavior
• Trespassing concerns
• Theft and property-related incidents
• Vehicle, traffic, and parking incidents
• Fire alarms and hazardous conditions
• Severe weather and environmental hazards
• Building and facility emergencies
• Residential Village safety and assistance calls
• Interpersonal conflicts
• Missing or concerning-person reports
• Demonstrations and expressive activities
• Threats or concerning communications
• Requests for escorts, access help, and lost property

We intentionally do not publish detailed, step-by-step response procedures for each situation. Publishing operational details could compromise safety. What we can tell you is this: in every case, the response is guided by the circumstances, the information available, the level of risk, and the resources the situation requires. Life safety always comes first.

Who Does What During an Incident

Residential Village

Living on campus? Campus Safety and Residential Life work as a coordinated team in the Residential Village. Residential Life leads student support, community standards, and care; Campus Safety provides safety response and supports Residential Life staff. Residents can always reach Campus Safety directly at 425-352-5359, and should call 911 for any emergency.

What You Can Expect From Campus Safety

When Campus Safety responds to an incident, you can expect our personnel to:

• Respond professionally, respectfully, and calmly.
• Prioritize life safety in every response.
• Assess the situation and act on the conditions they find.
• Request police, fire, medical, or other emergency resources whenever they are needed.
• Treat every person with dignity, and apply our policies consistently and without bias.
• Share available safety information with those affected.
• Protect personal privacy to the extent permitted by law and policy.
• Document incidents appropriately and support any needed follow-up.
• Connect people with campus and community resources whenever possible.
• Operate with leadership oversight: Campus Safety Management is on call around the clock and is notified when police, fire, or emergency medical resources respond to campus. Leadership provides oversight and coordination appropriate to the incident, either on site or remotely.

How Leadership Oversight Works

A general overview, the exact path always depends on the circumstances.

1. OFFICERS RESPOND: Campus Safety Officers respond to the incident.
2. OFFICERS ASSESS: Immediate safety needs and the resources the situation requires.
3. POLICE / FIRE / EMS REQUESTED — IF WARRANTED: Emergency responders are requested through 911.
4. CAMPUS SAFETY MANAGEMENT NOTIFIED: Management provides response oversight and institutional coordination.
5. CRISIS COMMUNICATION TEAM ACTIVATED — IF WARRANTED: Campus leadership and partners are brought together to help manage the incident.
6. CAMPUS MESSAGING — IF WARRANTED: UW Alert, Alertus desktop notifications, the Campus Safety app, email, website banner, or blog may be used to communicate with the campus community.

On-Site and Remote Leadership Oversight

Campus Safety maintains leadership oversight around the clock. Depending on the nature and severity of an incident, management may provide oversight and coordination on site or remotely. This allows officers at the scene to respond immediately while leadership supports decision-making, resource coordination, communications, and broader institutional needs.

For significant or complex incidents, Campus Safety leadership may respond to campus and coordinate with police, fire, emergency management, campus leadership, and other partners as appropriate. When police or fire assume command of an emergency scene, Campus Safety operates in support of the responding agency and within the established incident command structure. This approach is consistent with established emergency management principles, including the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS).

How We Communicate During an Incident

When an incident may affect the broader campus community, we use established emergency communication channels to share timely information and protective actions. Depending on the situation, you may receive information through:

• UW Alert: Emergency notifications, safety advisories, and other urgent campus messages
• Alertus desktop notifications: Emergency messages displayed on campus computers
• UWB-CC Safe: Provides quick access to campus safety information, emergency resources, safety tools, and notifications. Download for Apple or Android.
• Email: Campus-wide or targeted communications
• UWB website banner and blog: Updates and additional information during an incident

For significant incidents that may require coordinated campus communications, the Crisis Communications Team (CCT) may be activated to coordinate messaging, share situational information, and help ensure timely and consistent communication with the campus community.

Not every incident requires a campus-wide message. Communications are based on the nature of the incident, its potential impact on the campus community, and whether there is safety information or protective action the community needs to know.

After an Incident

Our work does not necessarily end when the immediate situation is resolved. Depending on the incident, follow-up may include:

• Completing incident documentation
• Coordinating with police, fire, or other responding agencies
• Referring matters to Student Conduct or other appropriate university offices
• Connecting affected individuals with counseling, advocacy, SafeCampus, or other support resources
• Reviewing significant incidents to identify lessons learned and opportunities to improve our response
• Providing additional campus communications when appropriate

Significant incidents may also be reviewed through an after-action process to identify what worked well, what could be improved, and whether changes to procedures, training, communication, or resources are needed.

If you were affected by an incident, support may be available through counseling, advocacy, academic or workplace assistance, and other campus resources. Campus Safety can help connect you with the appropriate resource.

Questions, Concerns, or Compliments

We want to hear from you. If you have a question about how an incident was handled, a concern about an interaction with Campus Safety, or would like to recognize a member of our team, please contact Campus Safety at uwb-safety@uw.edu.

You may also contact Cham Kao, Senior Director of Campus Safety and Transportation, at ckao@uw.edu.

We welcome feedback and use it to help strengthen our services, training, and response practices.

This page provides a general overview of Campus Safety incident response. Every incident is different, and the specific response will depend on the circumstances, available information, level of risk, and resources needed. University and college policies and procedures govern where applicable.