Emergency Procedures

The safety and well-being of our residents is our paramount concern. To this end we want to stress some steps for students to take (also consult Penn Public Safety and our own policies page for more information):

1. Program your phone:

• The emergency number for fire, police, MERT/ambulance is 215-573-3333.
   
• The number for the Gregory Information Center is 215-898-5202.
   
• The number for the CAPS line is 215-898-7021.  This includes after-hours consultation.
   
• The number for facilities emergencies (not routine repairs, etc, but floods and similar magnitude issues) is 215-898-7208.
   
• The number for advice on student health matters after hours is 215-746-3535 (press prompt for option 1)
   
• The number for a walking escort is 215-898-WALK (9255) 
   
• A 24-7 number for members of the Penn community who are seeking time-sensitive help in navigating Penn's resources for health and wellness is 215-898-HELP (4357)

2. Get to know your GRA or RA.  There are one or two staff members on your floor, and they will be holding information sessions shortly after move-in and occasional meet-ups throughout the year. Attend! And seek them out if you have not met them or interacted with them for a while. Our staff are a terrific resource with both emergencies and more long-term issues and are eager to help.

3. Remember that there is always a GRA or RA on-call all night on weekdays and 24/7 on weekends. You can have the info desk (number above, or head down to your lobby) page them. 

4. Register with UPennAlert for campus emergency updates.

5. Familiarize yourself with Special Services, who assist students who have been the victim of sensitive crimes including rape, sexual assault, relationship, and domestic violence, harassment, and stalking.

5. Familiarize yourself with our emergency exits. In the case of fire, exit the building through the NEAREST exit; don’t take extra time to head to the main entrance/exit.

6. Take all fire alarm practice drills and shelter-in-place drills seriously. The dates are always announced in advance, though not the times.

7. In case of a fire alarm, grab your PennCard and head out immediately. Do not hesitate. Fires do happen in residence halls. Don’t assume it is a drill or a false alarm.

8. Do not release cooking smoke into the hallway. If you have smoke in your apartment but not fire, open your apartment windows but NOT the door to your hallway, which will set off the building alarms.

9. Do not disable or cover your smoke detector. You may be fined heavily for this (the University standard fine starts at $250).

10. Familiarize yourself with Penn's alcohol policy-- especially regarding medical amnesty in case of emergency! Do not hesitate to call for help for yourself or another student.

11. Be cautious with your privacy settings on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc., and do not share your private information (including location, phone number) with a wide circle of acquaintances. See some additional cybersecurity pointers.