OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi officials are
taking steps to enhance safety across campus, including the
addition of a new television channel to notify students in
an emergency, installation of fire sprinklers in more
residence halls and increased use of campus safety
officers.
Residence Life Cinema, an entertainment and educational
channel on the campus cable system, is to be controlled by
the Department of Student Housing and Residence Life. The
channel, which should be available soon, broadcasts
exclusively to residence hall occupants, said Lorinda
Krhut, director of the department.
The channel normally carries a rotating selection of
movies, informational videos and announcements, but it can
be used to alert students of emergency situations. Such
instances could include anything from severe weather
conditions to a hostage situation.
“(Residence Life Cinema) will be a great addition for our
emergency alert system in our halls,” she said. “We can
actually program education videos during the day, and we
have control over it. If something should happen we can
immediately go through that channel and notify students.
It’s successful on many college campuses we’ve looked at.”
The division has installed sprinkler systems in all the
rooms and hallways of Deaton, Hefley, Martin and Stockard
residence halls, Krhut said. Stewart Hall has sprinklers in
renovated rooms, and workers are nearly finished equipping
Crosby Hall. Kincannon Hall is next on the priority list.
The project should be complete in the next two to three
years, Krhut said.
“I’ll feel really good when all the halls have fire
sprinklers in them,” she said. “Fire safety is just very
important to me personally.”
The department is also working on training its employees to
conduct fire inspections, she said. Inspections are handled
by the fire safety branch of Physical Plant Department, and
each campus building is inspected twice a year, said Terron
Jones, PPD director.
Among the inspectors are three professional firefighters,
one a retired captain. “It is rare that a university has
fire inspector professionals on staff doing regular monthly
inspections,” he said.
Other security measures in residence halls include
University Police Department’s campus safety officers, who
monitor residence halls and their parking lots. The
officers also assist in enforcing visitation policies,
ensure that exterior doors are secure and working, deal
with parking violations that could interfere with emergency
response and help with Rebel Patrol escorts, said Thelma
Curry, UPD crime prevention coordinator.
Rebel Patrol escorts are available to ensure that students
do not have to walk alone after dark, Curry said.
Background checks are conducted on Rebel Patrol personnel
before they go on the job.
The escorts are stationed near Weir Hall and the John D.
Williams Library and can be secured by calling UPD at
662-915-7234. If Rebel Patrol is unavailable, students can
call UPD for an escort from any campus location.
“They (the escorts) watch out for people’s safety whether
they’re escorting people or not,” Curry said.
Other safety measures in residence halls include cameras in
some areas, wireless Internet and card access entry to the
main doors, allowing them to remain locked 24 hours a day.
Student Housing officials are “looking forward to the day
when we have the same type of locks on each individual room
door,” Krhut said
Each residence hall also has someone on duty at the front
desk at all times, she said. This person can provide
assistance as needed or contact UPD or other authorities in
case of an emergency.
For more information on the Department of Student Housing
and Residence Life, go to