Secure-and-hold drill scheduled for November 26

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Durham College (DC) are committed to maintaining a safe campus environment. As part of this commitment, a secure-and-hold drill will be held at the joint UOIT/DC campus location in north Oshawa on Wednesday, November 26 at 9:45 a.m. All buildings west of Simcoe Street North and south of Conlin Road will be affected.

The drill, which will last approximately 15 to 30 minutes, is designed to build awareness around the steps to take in the event of an actual secure-and-hold event, while testing our emergency response plan and secure-and-hold procedures. This will help identify areas for improvement going forward. 

Please note: the north Oshawa location will be closed during the drill and no traffic permitted to enter or leave the premises. Please keep this in mind when scheduling meetings with internal or external parties during this time frame.

The Office of Campus Safety will use the Campus Incident Response Emergency Notification System (CIRENS) to notify staff, faculty and students of a secure-and-hold event. Students are encouraged to follow the university or college on Facebook and Twitter to receive CIRENS messages, not only for this exercise, but for all emergency situations on campus.

Description of the secure-and-hold drill:

• A campuswide voicemail message will be sent as a reminder of the drill prior to 9:45 a.m.
• A warning message will be broadcast on the public address system at 9 a.m., prior to the start of the drill. This message will be repeated several times.
• Upon hearing the announcement, students, faculty and staff will follow the procedures listed below. These procedures can also be found on the secure-and-hold website, the Emergency Guideline posters found on campus and on flyers distributed the morning of the drill.
• Once the drill is complete, the all clear will be given over the public address system and the campus will return to normal activities.

Once a secure-and-hold is announced:

• Follow the directions given by Campus Safety or others appointed by Campus Safety.
• For your own safety, do not exit the building unless directed to do so.

If the fire alarm sounds during the secure-and-hold:

• Assess your area for signs of fire.
• If no sign of fire, remain in secure-and-hold.
• If signs of fire, evacuate if safe to do so.
• If you choose to evacuate, use the safest exit.

About secure-and-hold

A secure-and-hold is implemented to ensure safety when a lockdown is not required but public safety is an issue. These situations may be the result of hazardous materials, inclement or severe weather, a police pursuit, a crime in progress, an active search by local police for a suspect, civil unrest or other risk-associated situations that may affect campus safety. Unlike a lockdown, during a secure-and-hold event, students and staff are allowed full access into and throughout buildings. 

Please note: in some situations, restrictions may be imposed and announced by Campus Safety during a secure-and-hold event to facilitate public safety. This could include directing anyone who is outside into a building, asking individuals to stay away from external windows or prohibiting people from exiting the building for periods of time until the situation is under control and deemed safe.

The university and college realize an exercise of this nature can be an unwanted distraction, however it is necessary to maintain the highest level of safety and security for students, staff and visitors.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.