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Recent Alerts

Mason Alert: Tornado Drill and Severe Weather Warnings

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Tornado Drill: This message initiates the 2023 Statewide Tornado Drill.  This is a TEST of the Mason Alert emergency notification system. This drill will begin at 9:45 a.m. and end at 10 a.m. today; there will be no further Mason Alert messages. Participation in this drill is optional.

To participate, identify or gather in a shelter area, and review the Tornado and Severe Weather Preparation Guide with coworkers, students, or friends (https://ready.gmu.edu/be-prepared/).

Mason Alert Tornado Warnings: Tornados, although rare, do occur in our region and can produce life-threatening conditions. All university students and employees automatically receive tornado warnings that are issued within three miles of a Mason campus or site (Mason Square, Fairfax, Loudoun, SciTech, SMSC, Potomac Science Center, and Point of View). These alerts are distributed to ensure that students and employees are made aware of potentially life-threatening weather conditions.

Students and employees are strongly encouraged to register a cell phone with the Mason Alert system or download the RAVE Guardian application to receive Mason Alert messages in a timely manner. Instructions on how to register a cell phone number in Mason Alert or download the RAVE Guardian public safety application are available at http://ready.gmu.edu.

For additional information about emergency preparedness at George Mason University, please visit http://ready.gmu.edu or contact SEERM-Emergency Management at 703-993-8448 or seerm@gmu.edu. To change your emergency notification preferences or to register your cell phone to receive emergency notifications via text message, visit http://alert.gmu.edu.

Thank you for participating in this drill and test of the Mason Alert system.

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Questions?

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Contact safety@gmu.edu or (703) 993-8448

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Mason Alert Text Message Registration

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Dear Patriots,

In our continuous effort to improve communication of emergencies to the campus community, we will be transitioning to an “Opt Out” Mason Alert text message registration model from our current “Opt In” process. This will significantly increase the number of people who receive emergency notifications via text message, which is the quickest Mason Alert delivery method.

Beginning on Monday, December 9, when you log into Patriot Web (https://patriotweb.gmu.edu) you will be prompted to confirm or enter your mobile phone number and elect whether to receive or decline Mason Alert emergency notification text messages. If you decide to decline this service, you may leave the mobile phone field blank.

This process will be conducted annually to ensure that students, faculty, and staff maintain accurate contact information in the Mason Alert emergency notification system. Beginning February 1, 2020, you may only update your primary mobile phone saved in Mason Alert using the Patriot Web portal.  Instructions on how to update your mobile number will be provided on the Mason Alert webpage https://alert.gmu.edu.  Students and employees are still encouraged to add friends and family to their Mason Alert account.

If you wish to receive Mason Alert text messages without registering your mobile phone, you may decline Mason Alert messages in Patriot Web, log into your Mason Alert account, and add your mobile number(s) to receive Mason Alert text messages.

Mobile phone numbers collected through this process will be saved in Banner and used for emergency communication purposes.  If you have any questions or concerns about this process please contact safety@gmu.edu or call (703) 993-8448.

Risk, Safety, & Resilience

rsr.gmu.edu

safety@gmu.edu

(703) 993-8448

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Advisories Recent Alerts

Mason Alert: Hazardous Material Incident on Fairfax Campus Eisenhower Hall

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A hazardous materials incident has been reported in Eisenhower Hall on the Fairfax Campus. Eisenhower Hall will be closed until further notice.  There are a large number of fire, emergency medical services, and police in the vicinity of Eisenhower Hall.  Presidents Park Drive is temporarily closed to facilitate cleanup and emergency response operations.

Please remain away from this area until further notice. There is no threat of exposure or injury to the area surrounding Eisenhower Hall. Follow the instructions of University Police and emergency response personnel. An update on this situation will be sent via Mason Alert when more information becomes available.

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Advisories Recent Alerts

Mason Alert: ALL CLEAR: University Police Investigating Person with Weapon

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ALL CLEAR:

**Thanks to a quick-thinking bus driver, the suspect in this incident has been located and the weapon was recovered by police.  We appreciate everyone’s patience and vigilance during the investigation.**

Original Message:
A person with a weapon has been seen on the Fairfax campus. University Police are searching for a person who fits the following description: Mid-20s year old black male, approximately 5’8″ – 6 feet tall, 130 pounds, last seen wearing a blue and yellow windbreaker jacket, black pants, white tennis shoes, carrying a gray backpack.  He has short black hair and an “X” tattoo on his face, and a tattoo on his neck.  Person was last seen near Ike’s and President’s Park Drive at 4:15am and believed to be headed away from the area.  The individual is an employee who works at GMU. Police are seeking this individual for questioning.

Please report anyone matching this description to the University Police at 703-993-2810. Do not approach or take any action. See our Facebook page for a photo.

Mason Alert
alert@gmu.edu

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Advisories Recent Alerts

Mason Alert: University Police Investigating Person with Weapon UPDATE

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UPDATE:

**Multiple Police agencies have searched the area and were unable to locate the suspect.  He is no longer believed to be in the GMU area.  Police have received information to ID the individual and continue to investigate the incident.  The community is encouraged to resume their routine activities but remain alert to their surroundings.**

A person with a weapon has been seen on the Fairfax campus. University Police are searching for a person who fits the following description: Mid-20s year old black male, approximately 5’8″ – 6 feet tall, 130 pounds, last seen wearing a blue and yellow windbreaker jacket, black pants, white tennis shoes, carrying a gray backpack.  He has short black hair and an “X” tattoo on his face, and a tattoo on his neck.  Person was last seen near Ike’s and President’s Park Drive at 4:15am and believed to be headed away from the area.  The individual is an employee who works at GMU. Police are seeking this individual for questioning.

Please report anyone matching this description to the University Police at 703-993-2810. Do not approach or take any action. See our Facebook page for a photo.

Mason Alert
alert@gmu.edu

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Advisories Recent Alerts

Mason Alert: University Police Investigating Person with Weapon

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A person with a weapon has been seen on the Fairfax campus. University Police are searching for a person who fits the following description: Mid-20s year old black male, approximately 5’8″ – 6 feet tall, 130 pounds, last seen wearing a blue and yellow windbreaker jacket, black pants, white tennis shoes, carrying a gray backpack.  He has short black hair and an “X” tattoo on his face, and a tattoo on his neck.  Person was last seen near Ike’s and President’s Park Drive at 4:15am and believed to be headed away from the area.  The individual is an employee who works at GMU. Police are seeking this individual for questioning.

Please remain away from this area and report anyone matching this description to the University Police at 703-993-2810. Please see our Facebook page for a photo.

If this person is determined or suspected to be dangerous, a warning will be sent via Mason Alert. More information about this situation will be provided as soon as possible.

Mason Alert
alert@gmu.edu
To receive text message notifications or to change your account setting, visit alert.gmu.edu

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Advisories

Timely Warning Suspicious Incident

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To the George Mason University Community,

The Mason Police are giving notice of a recently reported sexual assault (fondling) that may pose a serious or continuing threat to campus safety:

At 6:59 AM on Thursday, September 12, 2019, Mason Police became aware that at approximately 1:00 AM on Thursday, September 12, 2019, an unknown male subject approached a female student on Patriot Circle (near President’s Park in the direction of Sandy Creek Transit) and groped her buttocks and then ran away.

A limited description of the male subject is as follows: a male of undetermined race with a dark complexion, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, wearing all black clothing.

The Mason Police are actively investigating this incident. Anyone with information pertaining to this crime can contact Mason Police at (703) 993-2810 or by using the Anonymous Tip Hot-Line at (703) 993-4111. Mason Police also accepts anonymous crime tips online at police.gmu.edu/contact-us/submittip/  or through the RAVE Guardian mobile app.

Additionally, Mason Police provides a 24/7 safety escort service for anyone who feels unsafe when walking across campus. Please call (703) 993-2810 to request a safety escort.

REPORTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS

Members of the Mason community are encouraged to report all crimes and suspicious persons or incidents, however minor, to Mason Police immediately at (703) 993-2810 or 9-1-1.

ON-CAMPUS CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCES AND SERVICES

Options for seeking support without putting the University on notice of the incident:

  • *Student Support and Advocacy Center: Provides students impacted by sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking with a confidential space to discuss their reporting options and get support. During business hours call (703) 993-3686, for the 24-Hour Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Crisis Line call (703) 380-1434, ssac.gmu.edu.
  • Counseling and Psychological Services: Provides confidential mental health services to currently enrolled and registered students in both emergency and non-emergency situations. During business hours call (703) 993-2380, during non-business hours or life-threatening emergencies call Mason Police at (703) 993-2810 or 9-1-1, caps.gmu.edu.
  • *Student Health Services: Provides confidential health care to enrolled students in emergency and non-emergency circumstances on the Fairfax, Arlington, and Science and Technology Campuses. During business hours call (703) 993-2831, during non-business hours call the free after-hours nurse (703) 993-2831, during emergencies call 9-1-1, shs.gmu.edu .
  • *Mason Korea Health Services / Sexual Offense Services: During business hours call 032-626-0553, for the 24-hour Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Crisis Line call 032-626-1366, during emergencies call 1-1-9, www.igc.or.kr/en/campus/health.do .
Mason Police
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Advisories

Important Safety and Emergency Preparedness Information

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Dear Patriots,

You have either heard of or experienced last month’s erroneous active threat announcement. Fortunately, this was not a real event, but instead an error caused by an external vendor which has been resolved.  For more information about this situation, please visit our advisories page.  Many members of our community reacted quickly using their training to find a safe location, barricade/lock doors, and helped others as necessary. Although we regret this incident, it does remind us of the importance of individual and institutional preparedness. We continue to explore ways to make our campuses as safe as possible.  Please help us in this endeavor by educating yourself on recommended preparedness and response procedures and report emergencies or suspicious conditions to University Police by calling (703) 993-2810.

Mason Alert: All students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to register one or more cell phone numbers with Mason Alert, the university’s emergency notification system. Mason Alert text messages provide timely notification of events affecting your safety.

Active Threat Prevention and Response: Please take 15 minutes to review the university’s Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video designed to help you identify and report concerning behaviors. This video also reviews actions that should be taken if a person with a weapon is reported on campus.  To register for a scheduled viewing of the Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video in the Johnson Center Cinema facilitated by University Police and the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) with a question and answer session, please click here. University Police provide routine Active Threat Training Opportunities or training upon request.  To sign up or request training please click here.

Rave Guardian Public Safety App: Mason offers a free public safety app to all students, faculty and staff. Rave Guardian is integrated with Mason Alert and offers a number of important features, including a virtual safety escort function, the ability to submit tips anonymously to University Police, and a panic call button that relays your location to University Police.  The Rave Guardian app is free through the iTunes store and the Google Play store

Be Prepared: Information on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies that might occur on campus is available at ready.gmu.edu. This site also has resources to help faculty and staff prepare for emergencies that interrupt classes or impact research activities.

If you have any questions or concerns about Mason’s readiness for potential emergencies on campus, please contact EHS at safety@gmu.edu or 703-993-8448.

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Advisories

Campus Fire Safety Month

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September is Campus Fire Safety Month, and the Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) is pleased to use this opportunity to remind the Mason community of a few essential fire safety tips. In addition to the advice below, EHS encourages you to review the university’s Fire Safety Plan, which describes roles and responsibilities, policies, and procedures designed to mitigate the causes of fire, prevent loss of life and property by fire, and outline the procedures used to maintain fire protection and life safety systems at George Mason University.

Stay Warm…and Safe!

With cold weather approaching, it’s important to be aware of heating safety practices. While the university permits the use of personal space heaters, they must be used in accordance with the directives below.

  • Space heaters must have tip over automatic safety cut-offs and wiring that is in good condition.
  • All combustible materials must be removed at least three feet from the space heater.
  • Never place a space heater directly on top of combustible paper products, wood, or fueled equipment.
  • Space heaters must be plugged directly into the wall, without the use of an extension cord or power strip.
  • Space heater may never be used in areas where hazardous materials (i.e., flammable materials) are used or stored.
  • Space heaters must be turned off when they are left unattended.
  • Heaters must have a ceramic element. Coil elements are not permitted.

Download this tip sheet from the National Fire Protection Association to learn more about heating safety practices.

Fire Emergencies – Evacuation

Most of us have a habit of entering and leaving our offices through the same door. In an emergency, that exit door may not be accessible, and you’ll need to quickly locate an alternate way out.

Evacuation Plans, like the one pictured here, are posted throughout all university buildings. Students, employees, and visitors are encouraged to know and use two exit routes for all buildings and know your designated assembly area. Evacuation plans also show the location of fire extinguishers and pull stations.

Review your evacuation plan today, and if you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact EHS.

Training Opportunities

EHS offers Fire Extinguisher Use training to all members of the university community. In this engaging, one-hour course, you’ll learn how to operate a fire extinguisher through hands-on practice and classroom instruction. Visit ehstraining.gmu.edu to register for a class today, or contact EHS to schedule a group session for your office.