Update on Emergency Response and Safety Enhancements

Dear UM Community,

The safety and well-being of our community is always a top priority. Last month, we committed to review our response to the November 19 report of an armed person on the Fort Garry campus. While the report was unsubstantiated, we recognize concerns with aspects of our response and are committed to continuous improvement. Such reviews take place after any serious incident as outlined in UM’s Emergency Response Plan.

The Emergency Response Team and UM leadership have now completed that review and created a plan to strengthen our response in three key areas: communication, education and infrastructure.

Areas for Improvement:

Communications:

1. • Ensure information is shared in a timely manner on a range of channels.
   • Increase adoption of the UM Safe App among students, staff, and faculty. This includes promoting the App in acceptance letters, onboarding and performance reviews.
   • Explore ways to expedite communication during emergencies, so that UM Safe App messages and emails reach our community as soon as they are sent.
   • Ensure coordination with Winnipeg Police Service when they are communicating about our campus.

Education:

1. • Expand training on the Emergency Response Plan and safety protocols, offering annual sessions to the entire UM community and tailored sessions for leaders, faculties and units.
   • Offer training sessions in partnership with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) about how to support safety in the event of an active threat on campus.

Infrastructure:

1. • Continue to update the closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) across campuses, including hiring a security consultant to provide additional feedback to enhance the campus CCTVs.
   • Upgrade the loudspeaker system on the Fort Garry campus to ensure clearer communication.
   • Continue installation of additional Code Blue emergency poles for enhanced access to security services at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.

Looking Ahead

We have already begun implementing these, and other, improvements, with more planned for 2025. While no environment can be entirely risk-free, we remain committed to fostering a safe and secure campus for everyone. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the safety measures and programs offered by UM Security Services, including downloading the UM Safe App for real-time safety updates.

Thank you for your continued trust and engagement as we work to strengthen our safety protocols.

 
Sincerely,
Michael Benarroch
President and Vice-Chancellor