Safety Tips
Services & Programs
The health and safety of members of the Dartmouth community are primary concerns of the College.
Getting Help
The Department of Safety and Security will assist those individuals who abuse substances by facilitating transport to emergency facilities at the hospital or to the College Health Service or by taking other protective measures. Students are expected to inform Safety and Security when assistance is needed.
If you believe the person is in immediate danger to themselves or others please dial 911. For assistance with any situation involving a student being under the influcence you can reach Dartmouth Safety & Security 24/7 by calling (603) 646-4000.
The intoxicated person can hurt themselves by driving, by falling or stumbling, by getting into a fight, by vomiting or choking, by using more alcohol or other drugs, and other similar mishaps. You can help prevent these kinds of events from happening by calling Safety & Security at (603) 646-4000.
Good Samaritan Clause
When a student or organization assists an intoxicated individual in procuring the assistance of Safety and Security, local or state police, and/or medical professionals, neither the intoxicated individual, if a Dartmouth student, nor the individual or group who assists will be subject to formal College disciplinary action for (1) being intoxicated, or (2) having provided that person alcohol. This refers to isolated incidents only and does not excuse or protect those individuals or organizations who flagrantly or repeatedly violate the Student Alcohol Policy.
New Hampshire Good Samaritan Law & Dartmouth Good Samaritan Policy.
A hostile intruder situation can change rapidly. Thinking through scenarios in advance can help you respond faster.
Personal Safety Guidelines for Hostile Intruder/Active Shooter Situations
A hostile aggressor could use a gun, a knife, or other means to try to hurt people. Take time to understand your surroundings and environment, then make a plan.
During an active shooter or hostile intruder event, there are three choices you can make:
- Avoid
- Deny
- Defend
The Department of Safety and Security has staff available to teach small group workshops using this model. Call (603) 646-4000 to schedule the training. Watch a scenario using the concepts of Avoid, Deny, Defend.
AVOID
Avoiding the threat starts with your state of mind. Pay attention to your surroundings. Have an exit plan; if the aggressor is inside your building, get out. Move away from the threat as quickly as possible, and tell anyone you may encounter to leave. The more distance and barriers between you and the threat, the better. Do not try to carry anything with you, keep your hands high and visible to any responding police officers.
DENY
Getting away may difficult or impossible. You may need to create a refuge space in the nearest room or office. Keep distance between you and danger. Lock the door or create barriers. Turn off lights and silence your phone. Stay out of sight by hiding behind large objects. Do not answer the door or respond to voice commands until you are sure they come from a rescuer.
DEFEND
You have the right to protect yourself. If you cannot Avoid or Deny, be prepared to DEFEND yourself. If the offender is about to enter to your space, call 911. If you can't speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can listen to what's taking place. If you must fight, be aggressive and committed to winning. Do not fight "fairly"; this is about survival. Develop a plan of attack with others in the room, using whatever items are in the room as weapons.
When police arrive, they will pass any injured people and go to the area where gunshots were last heard. Keep your hands visible to officers. Tell them where the aggressor is, if you know. Stay where authorities tell you to go, until released. You will be a witness in a crime scene.
Dartmouth has been very lucky in regard to fires in its residence halls and Greek housing, and has not had deaths resulting from fires. We believe this is due to the strong proactive measures we take and the information we share with the students.
Students should know that it is a crime to tamper with a fire detection and fire suppression system, including smokeheads.
Tampering with smokeheads in the student's rooms falls under College discipline and carries a $100 fine, because smokeheads are so crucial to ensuring safety. Students, College faculty and employees need to know that you cannot do anything that would prevent a smokehead or sprinkler head from functioning properly.
Important Points
- Candles are not allowed to be burned. If a burning candle is found, it is considered a fire safety violation which carries a $100 fine.
- Tampering with a smokehead or fire suppression system including fire extinguishers is a fire safety violation. If it is part of a building's built-in system, it is also a state crime.
- Do not park in fire lanes. When you do, you are preventing emergency equipment from accessing the scene of an emergency. Parking in a fire lane also constitutes a $100 fine.
- During a fire alarm you MUST leave the building as soon as the alarm is sounded. If you have any concerns, wait outside for a Safety and Security officer or the fire department to arrive. Do not assume that it is a false alarm.
- If you should find a fire, close the door to the room it is in. Then find the nearest pull station, activate it and exit from the building. Let the firefighters put out the fire.
Dartmouth Safety & Security’s responsibility of providing a safe campus environment does not just include your physical wellbeing; it also involves maintaining mental health by working alongside the Dartmouth College Health Services Counseling Center.
According to the Health Minds Study, which takes data from over 300 university & college campuses, more than 60% of students met criteria for at least one mental health problem (Lipson, S. K., et al., Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 306, 2022). The National College Health Assessment offers similar number as almost 75% of student respondents report moderate or severe psychological distress (National College Health Assessment, American College Health Association, 2021).
To address the growing needs of mental health in higher education, the Dartmouth Counseling Center serves all full-time undergraduate & professional school students by providing a host of different resources including:
- Short-Term Individual Therapy
- Group Therapy & Workshops
- Medication, Evaluation & Management
- Educational Outreach Programs
- Consultations
- Referrals to on- and off-campus resources
24/7 Local Crisis Resources
- Uhelp/Uwill Crisis Line: (833) 646-1526
- NH/West Central Rapid Response Access Point: call/text (833) 710-6477
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Emergency Dept.: (603) 650-7000
One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, 03756 - WISE: 866-348-WISE (9473) or text 603-836-9472
National Crisis Resources
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call/text 988
- ULifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Blackline: 800-604-5841
- The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: 877-726-4727
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
- Love Is Respect (National Dating Abuse Helpline): 866-331-9474
- Lock your door when you are at home, lock your door when you are away, please lock your door always!
- Report any suspicious activity immediately, including anyone that makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Pull the shades to your room at night and lock your windows.
- Watch out for each other! Report any sign of forced entry. Do not go in. Instead, go to a safe place and call the Safety and Security Department at (603) 646-4000.
- Remember that there are seventy-four-emergency exterior telephones on campus. Please use them if you need them, you can also use the LiveSafe app.
- During book buy-back time, your books are like cash. Don't leave them unattended.
- You can engrave items of value: computers, printers, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, TVs etc. Borrow an engraver from the Safety and Security Department.
- Make a copy of your I.D., license and credit cards and keep in a safe place. If stolen, immediately notify Safety and Security at (603) 646-4000, the Hanover Police Department at (603) 643-2222 and the appropriate credit card companies.
- Warm coats are targets for thieves at parties and dining halls during winter months.
One way to beat the heat at Dartmouth during the warmer months is to go for a swim in the nearby Connecticut River at the college swimming docks between the Ledyard Bridge and the Rowing Boathouse Dock. When out for a swim, here are some safety reminders to ensure everyone can safely beat the heat and enjoy the summer.
Important Reminders
- Remember to bring your Dartmouth ID to swim. Only current Dartmouth ID holders are allowed to use the college swimming docks.
- Dartmouth Outdoor Programs stations lifeguards on the college swimming dock between noon and 7PM granted good weather conditions for visitor safety. Swimming is allowed only in the presence of the Dartmouth Outdoor Program Lifeguards.
- No one is permitted on Dartmouth’s waterfront docks after dark without proper authorization.
- No one is permitted to set up & use rope swings and other similar devices from any Dartmouth or the Town of Hanover property.
- Swimming is only allowed around the college swimming docks. Swimming anywhere else along the Dartmouth waterfront is prohibited.
- Do NOT jump from Ledyard Bridge into the water. Jumping off Ledyard Bridge into the Connecticut River is prohibited at all times and some areas of the Connecticut River are shallower than they appear.