Secure-and-hold drill at Campus Corners June 25

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 Campus Corners, including the UOIT Graduate Office and UOIT CultureWorks Office, on Thursday, June 25 at 9:45 a.m.

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: 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, employees are allowed full access into and throughout buildings. 

Note: In some situations, restrictions may be imposed and announced by Campus Security 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 following is a description of the hold-and-secure drill:

• A campuswide voicemail message will be sent to Campus Corners employees as a reminder of the drill prior to 9:45 a.m.
• Upon hearing the announcement over the public address system and through the Campus Incident Response Emergency System (CIRENS) alerts, employees will follow the procedures listed below.
• Once the drill is complete, the all clear will be given over the public address system and through CIRENS alerts, and the campus will return to normal activities.

Secure-and-hold

A secure-and-hold announcement will be made over the public address system and through CIRENS alerts.

Once a secure-and-hold is announced:

• Follow the directions given by Campus Security or others appointed by Campus Security to assist with campus safety and the securing of Campus Corners.
• 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.

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 employees.

Whenever possible or practical, the Office of Campus Safety will use CIRENS to notify employees of a secure-and-hold event.