The Mount community depends on the staff of Public Safety—the only campus wide 24-hour operation—for all after-hours and weekend problems. The department will assist: individuals in distress with personal and/or professional problems; departments with organizational requirements; and visitors. It also assists with special events needs and manages the university fleet. It maintains safe and efficient traffic circulation and parking procedures through the distribution of information, education and enforcement.

Although each member of the Mount community has a responsibility for personal safety and security, the department is responsible for providing a safe comfort level that meets their expectations. The department meets this responsibility by providing a visible law enforcement presence, prepared to intervene, protect, comfort and assist a victim of crime. In addition, the department, as directed by the Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act, provides educational programming, training materials, crime statistics and timely security alerts to reduce individual risk. The department ensures that security access-control fixtures and surveillance equipment are in place and operational. A visual crime preventive presence is maintained by means of vehicle and foot patrols of the grounds and buildings. Supervisors are schooled in criminal law and commissioned with the powers of arrest. The department maintains a close professional relationship with the local fire, police, ambulance and other county agencies that provide emergency support.

All officers are trained in first aid, CPR/AED and physically able to respond and provide immediate first aid in medical emergencies. Officers routinely inspect the fire safety systems and are qualified to respond to an alarm, assume charge and, if necessary, order and direct a building evacuation. Officers respond immediately to incidents of a criminal nature. The department staff is aware of the sensitivity of sexual and racial incidents and responds with tact, understanding and empathy. As the department assigned the leadership role in risk management, staff will respond immediately to all unforeseen "acts of God" and other threats to operational management; provide for the injured and call needed assistance; establish control; and assess damage.

Training is a vital function of the department and is provided by qualified instructors from within the Mount community, the Frederick County Sheriff's Department and other related agencies. Areas of concentration include, but are not limited to, nonviolent crisis intervention, criminal law, sexual assault, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, work place violence, the use of force, crisis management, ethics, diversity and community policing. A yearly testing and evaluation program exists to monitor staff performance.

During an emergency, members of the university community are normally expected to remain where they are unless it is unsafe to do so. If you must move from one location to another, only do so if it is safe. Remain indoors unless instructed otherwise. Going to the location of an emergency risks your personal safety and increases the possibility of hampering emergency responders in their duties.In the event of an emergency all notifications will be sent through the MountAlert notification system (via telephone, text, email, and social media) In most cases occurring on or near the Emmitsburg, Md. campus the university will also activate the siren/speaker component of the MountAlert system. With the authorization of the emergency management coordinator, the university may suspend normal operations including curricular and extracurricular activities until the emergency no longer exists. With the approval of the emergency management coordinator the main campus north and south gates may be closed and access may be restricted. Access to the university by vehicles and/or persons may be further controlled by Public Safety officers and other university officials stationed at specifically identified ingress and egress points. If conditions permit, the university president may authorize a community prayer service in a location to be determined.

The university’s All-Hazards Emergency Response Plan identifies the importance of communicating timely information to the campus community not only at the outset of an emergency but throughout an event. During an emergency event the campus community will be provided with safety information and regularly updated on the status of the event. Members of the university community with information or intelligence related to an on-going or potential campus emergency are encouraged to share that information with the Department of Public Safety at 301- 447-5911 or through the University’s MountReport Form.