Campus Safety

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Rappahannock Community College uses RCC Alert to immediately contact you during a major crisis or emergency. RCC Alert delivers important emergency alerts, notifications and updates to you on all your devices:

  • E-mail account (work, home, other)
  • Smartphone (text, voice message)

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School Closings

In the event of an emergency or inclement weather, a decision regarding a closing or late opening will be made by 6:00 a.m. For evening classes, an announcement will be made by 3:00 p.m. In the absence of any announcement, classes will be held. Announcements will be made as follows:

Closings: The College may close a campus or site if weather prohibits safe operations. It is the responsibility of the Vice President of Finance and Administration to consult with the President, Vice President of Instruction, and other necessary personnel to determine appropriate action. If a campus or site is closed, the facility is not open to RCC personnel or the public; however, this action does not necessarily mean that classes are canceled or all services are unavailable. Online (On-Your-Time/asynchronous) classes will continue as scheduled as these classes are not time-specific. For all other classes, students should check the course’s Canvas site for instructions and details from the course instructor. When local school jurisdictions close a school where the college operates an off-campus site, the RCC operations at that site are canceled regardless of whether the college or a campus is closed.

Delayed: The College may delay opening in the event of inclement weather at a campus or site. Those staff that are teleworking should begin the day at the usual time. Those coming to campus will come at the appointed hour. Students should arrive at the appointed hour. If, for example, the College opens at 10 a.m., and the student had a class that began at 9:30 a.m., the class will meet from 10 a.m. until the usual ending time.

Closing Early (During Operating Hours): If after the College has opened, weather conditions deteriorate in the area, RCC will close early.

Safety Notice: If classes are held, each individual must assess conditions at the point from which that person is traveling, since conditions can vary greatly throughout the service region. No one is expected to place attendance above personal safety. However, if a student does miss a class, it will be the student’s responsibility to contact the professor as soon as possible to make arrangements for completing class work.

Announcements: Closing announcements will be posted on www.rappahannock.edu. Announcements will be broadcast on local radio and television stations, and an RCC Alert message will be sent.

Radio
Television Stations

Report a Threat

Report a problem to the Rappahannock Community College Incident reporting system. If you have reason to believe that a person at a Rappahannock facility may represent a potential threat to others or to themselves, please complete an Incident Report or contact the Police Department.
If the danger is immediate, make sure you place yourself out of harm’s way; then call 911 immediately.

Threat Assessment Team (TAT)

Purpose of the Threat Assessment Team As a requirement of Virginia Code Section 23-9.2:10, each public college or university shall have in place policies and procedures for the prevention of violence on campus.  RCC is committed to providing a safe campus environment that promotes student learning.  As part of this commitment, RCC has established the Threat Assessment Team, a multi-disciplinary group responsible for evaluating and managing risks associated with behaviors that may present a threat to the campus community’s safety.  The RCC TAT, in collaboration with the RCC Violence Prevention Committee, will help develop policies and procedures for violence prevention, including assessment and intervention with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to campus safety. The RCC Threat Assessment Team members include the vice president of finance and administrative services, Glenns Campus dean, Warsaw Campus dean, dean of student development, human resources manager, counselors and other College constituencies as needed.   All members of the Threat Assessment Team are considered to be school officials and will have complete access to student records when necessary to do their job.

The Threat Assessment Team is responsible for addressing reported behavioral or mental health incidents involving students, faculty, staff or visitors which occur on a RCC campus or site.

Frequently Asked Questions About TAT Referrals

  • Who can make a referral to TAT?  Anyone may make a referral to the Threat Assessment Team, this includes students, faculty, staff, and parents.
  • What type of behavior should be referred?   Behavior that warrants a referral to the Threat Assessment Team includes behaviors that might compromise safety, erratic behavior that disrupts teaching or college activities, self-injurious behaviors, and suicidal ideation.
  • How do I know if it is a TAT issue or if it is something that should be handled by another campus resource?  You do not need to make the decision about whether a situation is an issue for TAT or should be handled by another department, when in doubt make a referral.
  • What happens after I make a referral?  The TAT members will review the information provided in the referral and take the appropriate action.

If you feel there is an immediate threat, dial 911 and contact campus security.

  • Glenns: 804-239-6481

  • Warsaw: 804-298-5937

  • Kilmarnock Center and King George site call 911

To make a report in person, you may provide a report to one of the following depending on your location, and your report will be forwarded to the TAT.:

  • Glenns Campus Dean, Room 131
  • Warsaw Campus Dean, Room 141
  • Dean of Student Development, Room 106A Glenns or 105A Warsaw
  • King George Site Director, Kilmarnock Site Director

Building Evacuation
  • Evacuation procedures (with floor plan) are posted in each classroom.
  • Occupants are to leave through the nearest exit and to proceed to the parking lot in the event of fire or other emergency
  • In order to comply with state requirements, faculty should review the evacuation procedures with students at the first class meeting each semester, including each summer session. This review is intended to serve the same purpose as a fire drill for students.
  • Buildings should be evacuated whenever fire alarms are sounded, recognizable as an uninterrupted loud pulsating buzz or ringing, or when so notified by college personnel such as Campus Security, Facilities or Administrators.
  • Each staff and faculty member is responsible for ensuring that the students are evacuated from the building, including students with disabilities.
  • Direct students to the initial gathering point for your building. From that area, the Incident commander, Administrator-in-Charge, or fire and police responders will direct staff and students to the secondary gathering point or other location, in order to evade hazards such as smoke and clear the way for emergency response vehicles
  • In the event of fire, the wheelchair elevator located in the Workforce Center should not be used. If handicapped individuals are unable to exit through the rear of the building, use the Area of Rescue located adjacent to the lift. There is a call box located inside the Area of Rescue that you activate to call for help.
  • Facilities Department employees will canvass all rooms, as can safely be done, to ensure that no one remains. Administrators will assist in this effort as soon as they are able to respond.
  • In the event that a chemical mishap necessitates the evacuation of a building, the laboratory technician or instructor will meet the Faculties Supervisor at the evacuation location outside the building to convey information about any hazards that might exist inside, such as noxious fumes or volatile chemicals. These conditions require specialized personal protective equipment and may preclude canvassing of the building by college personnel. In such instances, the Facilities Supervisor will await response by the Fire and Rescue Department and advise them of the hazards so that county fire fighters may take appropriate precautions prior to entering the building.

Shelter-in-Place During certain emergency situations, particularly chemical, biological or radioactive material releases, or other violent act, you may be advised to “shelter-in-place” rather than evacuate the building. When directed to shelter- in- place:

  • Stay inside the building (or go indoors as quickly as possible).
  • If possible, go to a room or corridor where there are no windows and few doors
  • If there is time, shut and lock all windows and doors, (locking the door may provide a better seal on the door against chemicals).
  • In the event of a chemical release, go to an above ground level of the building; some chemicals are heavier than air and may seep into basements even if windows are closed.
  • Turn of the heat, fans, air conditioning or ventilation system, if you have local control of the systems.
  • Drink bottled water or stored water, not water from the tap.


Call Boxes, Emergency Telephones and Numbers

Emergency Phones at RCC

Emergency Phones at RCC

  1. Open Front Cover
  2. Pick up handset
  3. It automatically calls security during operating hours
  4. State your emergency
  5. Hang the handset up after use
  6. When the college is closed please use personal cell phone calling 911 while on college grounds.

In an emergency, dial “0” for campus security and declare emergency or dial “911” for local law enforcement, EMT, or fire department.

Calling Security

If you feel there is an immediate threat, dial 911 and contact campus security. 

       Glenns: 804-239-6481

       Warsaw: 804-298-5937

Personal Safety Responsibilities

Steps to follow during an Active Shooter situation — Determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life and call 911, when it is safe to do so. Run: Evacuate if you can (this is your best chance of survival)

  • Have an escape route in mind
  • Leave valuables behind
  • Keep hands visible

Hide: In an area out of shooter’s view

  • Block entry to your hiding place and lock doors
  • Turn off lights and silent electronic devices

Fight: As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger

  • Attempt to incapacitate the shooter
  • Act with physical aggression

Download “How to Respond to an Active Shooter” [PDF]

Watch this Active Shooter Safety Video, courtesy of California State University Long Beach

Fire Safety

If you discover a fire inside a building:

  • Activate the fire alarm system.
  • Immediately exit the building, closing doors behind you.
  • Contact Campus Switchboard by dialing “0” on office phone or red phone in classrooms or call 9-1-1 on any phone

If you discover a fire outside a building:

  • Contact Campus Switchboard by dialing “0” on office phone or red phone in classroom or call 9-1-1 on any phone
  • Do NOT activate the building fire alarm system

If the fire alarm starts sounding:

  • Feel the door or doorknob to the hallway with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, do not open it – the fire may be on the other side of the door
  • If the door is not hot, open it slowly. If the hallway is clear of smoke, close doors behind you and walk to the nearest exit and exit the building
  • Notify arriving fire or police personnel if you suspect someone is trapped inside the building, and where they may be located
  • Gather outside at a designated assembly area, and do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed to do so by College administrator or the Fire Department. Do not leave the college campus by vehicle so that the road exits remain clear for emergency crews.

If you are trapped in a room, or otherwise unable to leave:

  • Wet and place cloth material around and under the door to prevent smoke from entering the room.
  • Close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
  • Be prepared to signal someone outside, but DO NOT BREAK GLASS until absolutely necessary (outside smoke may be drawn into the room).

If you are caught in smoke:

  • Drop to hands and knees and crawl toward exit.
  • Stay low, as smoke will rise to ceiling level.
  • Breathe in short breaths through nose and use a filter such as a shirt or towel.

Using a fire extinguisher: Building occupants are not required to fight fires. Individuals who have been trained in the proper use of a fire extinguisher and are confident in their ability to cope with the hazards of a fire may use a portable fire extinguisher to fight small fires (no larger than a waste paper basket). Fire fighting efforts must be terminated within 15 seconds, or when it becomes obvious that there is risk of harm from smoke, heat or flames, which ever comes first. The P.A.S.S. method of using fire extinguishers:

  • Pull the safety pin from handle
  • Aim the extinguisher at the base of fire
  • Squeeze the trigger handle
  • Sweep from side to side to side at base
Active Shooter Safety Video

If the college receives a bomb threat, it probably will be by telephone or mail. The utmost concern is for the safety of all individuals at the College. If a bomb threat is made by telephone, the individual at the switchboard would normally receive the call. The following actions/observations need to be made:

  • Note the date and precise time of the call.
  • Note if caller is male or female.
  • Note the age of caller (old, young)
  • Note any dialect.
  • Listen for any background noises (trains, cars, music, noisy people, etc.)
  • Record any text of conversation (as many details as possible).
  • Ask the following questions:
  • What time is the bomb set to go off?
    1. Where is the bomb?
    2. In what area of the school?
    3. In what type of container has the bomb been placed?
    4. How was the bomb delivered to the college?
    5. Why are you picking this college?
    6. What is your name? (Note: the caller will probably hang up after this question.)
    7. Report threat to administrator in charge and facilities supervisor

If a bomb threat is received by letter, note, or package, the following procedures are to be followed:

  • Handle the letter, note, or package and enclosures with extreme care.
  • Carefully lay down letter, note, or package.
  • Evacuate and secure area by locking doors.
  • Report findings to college administrators and safety officer.

The college administrators and the safety officer will determine if further action is deemed necessary. The college’s fire alarm will be sounded. All students and staff will be evacuated.

Medical Emergency

All College personnel are encouraged to learn first aid and CPR. ALWAYS error on the side of caution… in order to help someone, you must: REMAIN CALM and CALL FOR HELP If you are on campus, call 911, then contact College switchboard at “0″ or 86700 Glenns or 36700 Warsaw. If you are off campus, call 911. ALWAYS stay on the phone until the person answering the call ends the conversation. If you suspect a head or spinal injury, DO NOT MOVE the victim unless there is an immediate life-threatening emergency. Keep the injured person warm. To start rescue breathing ( if victim is not breathing, but has a pulse):

  • With victim’s head tilted back and chin lifted, pinch the nose shut.
  • Give two slow breaths (each one second). Breathe into victim until chest gently rises.
  • Check for a pulse (on neck).
  • If there is a pulse but victim is still not breathing, give one slow breath every 5-6 seconds (12 breaths per minute).
  • Re-check pulse and breathing every minute. Continue rescue breathing as long as victim is not breathing or until medical assistance arrives.

To give CPR (if victim is not breathing AND has no pulse) and/or use Automated External Defibrillator (A.E.D.)

  • Find the notch where the lower ribs meet the breastbone. Place the heel of your hand on the breastbone. Place your other hand on top of the first.
  • Position your shoulders over your hands. Compress 30 times using a smooth, even rhythm.
  • Give 2 slow breaths (see above for details).
  • Do four more sets of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
  • Recheck pulse and breathing for 5-6 seconds.
  • If there is no pulse, continue sets of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
  • Continue until medical assistance arrives or until victim starts breathing and has a pulse.

An A.E.D. is located in the main academic building at the reception desk. The A.E.D. is designed to be operated by an untrained layperson. Follow the directions on the device. To stop bleeding:

  • Apply pressure directly onto the wound with sterile gauze, clean handkerchief, or bare hand. (Try to locate a moisture barrier, such as a plastic bag, to protect yourself from fluid contamination).
  • Maintain steady pressure for five or ten minutes.
  • If victim is bleeding from an arm or a leg, elevate it.
  • Stay with victim until help arrives.

Locations of Stop the Bleeding Kits & AED’s

Glenns Campus – Stop the Bleeding Kits

  • Facilities Office
  • Welcome Desk
  • Room 122 Emergency Cabinet 
  • Faculty Suite 108
  • Faculty/Staff Lounge 130

Glenns Campus – AEDs

  •  Workforce Kitchen Room 117
  • Faculty/Staff Lounge 130

Glenns Campus – First Aid Kits

  • Faculty/Staff Lounge Room 130
  • Lab Rooms 173, 175, and 176

Kilmarnock Site – Stop the Bleeding Kit

  • Office Suite Room 112

Kilmarnock Site – AED

  • Office Suite 104

New Kent – Stop the Bleeding Kit

  • Office Suite 107

Warsaw Campus – Stop the Bleeding Kits

  • Staff Lounge
  • Facilities Office
  • Welcome Desk
  • Lecture Hall
  • Chinn House Kitchen
  • Faculty Suite 109
  • 174 Prep Room
  • Annex Room 208

Warsaw Campus – AEDs

  • Facilities Office
  • Annex Hallway
  • Chinn House Kitchen
  • Reception Desk

Chinn House

  • Chinn House Kitchen, Stop the Bleeding Kit and AED

Burn Treatment:

  • Remove the victim from the source of the burn only if it is safe for you to do so. If a chemical is involved, wear gloves or other protective gear.
  • Cool the burn by flushing with large amounts of water. Use water close to room temperature. For chemical burns, also remove any contaminated clothing.
  • Loosely cover the burn with a dry clean or sterile dressing.
  • For electrical burns, make sure the power source is off before making contact with the victim. If victim is unconscious, do not move unless there is an immediate danger. Loosely cover the burns with a dry clean or sterile dressing.

Choking Person:

  • Get behind the victim. Wrap your arms around the person’s waist, just above their navel.
  • Clasp your hands together in a double fist. PRESS IN AND UP IN QUICK THRUSTS.
  • Be careful not to exert pressure against the victim’s rib cage.
  • Repeat procedure until choking stops or victim becomes unconscious.
  • If victim becomes unconscious, perform steps of CPR (see above) while checking victim’s mouth for the object. If object is visible, insert one finger into victim’s mouth and remove the object.

  Policy on Sexual, Domestic and Dating Violence, and Stalking Documents for this policy:

  • Final Community Resources [PDF]

Read the complete documentation for this policy at our RCC Catalog.

Crime Awareness Annual Security Report (Clery Act)

RCC prepares this report annually to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act.

In 1990, Congress enacted the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (Title II of Public Law 101-542), which amended the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). This act required all postsecondary institutions participating in HEA’s Title IV student financial assistance programs to disclose campus crime statistics and security information. The act was amended in 1992, 1998, 2000 and 2008. The 1998 amendments renamed the law the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act in memory of a student who was slain in her dorm room in 1986. It is generally referred to as the Clery Act and is in section 485(f) of the HEA. In 2013, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), which included additional amendments to the Clery Act.

The report is available here. Enrolled students and current personnel will receive an e-mail notification annually on or before October 1st when an updated report has been made available on this website. Print copies of the report may be obtained, free of charge, by request at the Service Desk of the main campus.

View the Annual Security Report for 2022

Flooding Safety

Flooding is a universal, year round hazard. This video features memorable and informative video footage showing the need for informed decision making. The video begins with a flooded road and a driver in a hazardous situation, then wraps up with the best practice of turning the vehicle around instead of crossing the flooded area.