How to Handle Emergencies

In the event of a medical, fire, safety, or other emergency, dial 911 from a university-owned phone or a cellular phone. Do not try to call the university police department directly. Although the university police department maintains a 24-hour presence at Mason Square (headquartered on the ground level of Van Metre Hall (formerly Founders) in room 110), the duty officer is frequently out on patrol, so the Mason Square police office is not manned 24 hours a day.

From a university-owned phone, dial 911 or 9-911. You will be connected to the university dispatch center on the Fairfax Campus. The dispatcher will ask for information about the emergency and order the appropriate emergency unit to respond (e.g., fire engine, ambulance, etc.). The dispatcher will then notify the police officer on duty at Mason Square to respond to the emergency, as well.

From a cellular phone, dial 911. You will be connected to the dispatch center closest to the physical location of your call, which at Mason Square is the Arlington County dispatch center (not the university dispatch center on the Fairfax Campus). The dispatcher will ask for information about the emergency and order the appropriate emergency unit to respond (e.g., fire engine, ambulance, etc.). The Arlington County dispatcher will then contact the university dispatch center. The university dispatcher will notify the police officer on duty at Mason Square to respond to the emergency, as well.

Be prepared to provide the dispatcher with the following information: your name, your exact location (i.e., street address, building, floor, and room number), the nature of the emergency, and the physical condition of any injured persons. Remain on the line until the dispatcher informs you that he has dispatched a fire, medical, or police unit to your location. If you are not alone, ask someone else to wait for the emergency response unit outside of the building at the street in order to guide the emergency response unit to the site of the emergency.

As soon as is feasible, please notify someone in the law school administration of the emergency:

Annamaria Nields, Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support, 703-993-8174

In the event of a non-emergency situation that requires police assistance (e.g., opening a locked classroom), call the Mason Square police office at 703-993-8070. If the duty officer is not in the office, the call will be forwarded automatically to the university dispatch center on the Fairfax Campus, which will notify the duty officer at Mason Square (by radio) to respond to the situation.