USF was among college campuses across the country celebrating National Campus Safety Day Sept. 28, putting a spotlight on personal safety, disaster preparedness and crime prevention.

The USF event – the first of its kind – featured representatives and vehicles from the University Police Department, as well as from local community law enforcement partners, such as the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Tampa Fire and Rescue and local emergency medical service teams.

Faculty, staff and students gathered in the heart of the campus and saw live demonstrations of rescue teams, a K-9 unit (named Aramus) from Temple Terrace conducting a take-down demonstration, a mounted patrol unit from Tampa Police, and an automobile rollover simulator by the Florida Highway Patrol, among others. In addition, event sponsors provided educational information and some giveaways, and there was food, emergency vehicles, and games that offered prizes, including commemorative Safety Day t-shirts.

The goal of the national event is to draw attention to safety and to create an environment for everyone on campus, said Christopher Daniel, chief of the USF Police Department (UPD).

“National Campus Safety Day is a unified effort to build a stronger awareness of campus safety,” Chief Daniel said. “We want to help our campus communities understand how to create a safer environment, which will help them, as well as others.”

The USF event featured law enforcement and other first responders on hand to offer personal safety tips and answer any questions attendees may have. If you have questions about how to create a safer environment in your area of campus, please call UPD at 813-974-2628.

Photos by Katy Hennig and Ryan Noone, USF Health Office of Communications.