Contact Us

University Police
Davidson Building 
414 E. Clark St. 
Vermillion, SD 57069
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The University Police Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is located in the Davidson Building. 

The University of South Dakota Police Department is the official law enforcement authority for the university. UPD is comprised of 13 certified, police officers; three dispatchers; and numerous student workers who assist in areas of parking enforcement and special events.

All UPD police officers are full-time, deputized as Vermillion City Police Officers, and obtain all certification requirements consistent with the South Dakota Law Enforcement Standards and Training guidelines. Officers receive routine training throughout the year in areas such as criminal investigations, sexual assault response, active shooter deployment, firearms, domestic violence investigations, and numerous other areas related to law enforcement work. UPD works closely with the Vermillion Police Department, as well as other area law enforcement agencies and social service agencies, to provide the university community with a safe environment.

Important Phone Numbers

  • Police, fire, medical emergencies (from campus phones): 911
  • Non-emergencies: 605-658-6199

Bryant Jackson, Chief of Police
Email: Bryant.Jackson@usd.edu
Telephone: 605-658-6199

 

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Major Emergency Guidelines

The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is paramount to the university. We have emergency procedures in place to ensure the effective management of emergency efforts involved in preparing for and responding to situations associated with emergencies.

Active Shooter - Active Threat Response Plan

RUN: Evacuate If Possible

  • If there is considerable distance between you and the gunfire/armed person, quickly move away from the sound of the gunfire/armed person. If the gunfire/armed person is in your building and it is safe to do so, run out of the building and move far away until you are in a secure place to hide.
  • Leave your belongings behind.
  • Keep your hands visible to law enforcement.
  • Take others with you, but do not stay behind because others will not go.
  • Call 911 when it is safe to do so. Do not assume that someone else has reported the incident. The information that you are able to provide law enforcement may be critical, e.g. number of shooters, physical description and identification, number and type(s) of weapons, and location of the shooter.

HIDE: Hide/barricade in as safe a place as possible

  • If the shooter is nearby and you cannot evacuate safely, hide in an area out of the armed person’s view.
  • Choose a hiding place with thicker walls and fewer windows, if possible.
  • Lock doors and barricade doors with furniture, or anything available that would make it harder for the shooter to enter the room.
  • Turn off lights
  • Silence phones and turn off other electronics.
  • Close windows, shades, and blinds, and avoid being seen from outside the room, if possible.
  • If you are outdoors and cannot RUN safely, find a place to hide that will protect you from gunfire such as a brick wall, large trees, or buildings.
  • Remain in place until you receive an “all clear” from law enforcement or the University emergency notification system.

FIGHT: Take action to disrupt or incapacitate the shooter

  • As a last resort, fight. Fight doesn’t have to mean “fight.” Fight can mean any action you take to save your life. You are fighting to stay alive, not necessarily fighting the assailant.
  • Attempt to incapacitate or disrupt the actions of the shooter.
  • Act with physical aggression toward the shooter.
  • Use items in your area such as fire extinguishers or chairs.
  • Throw items at the shooter if possible.
  • Call 911 when it is safe to do so.

Police response:

  • Police are trained to proceed immediately to the area in which shots or violence were last heard. Their purpose is to stop the shooting quickly.
  • Responding officers will normally be in teams. They may be dressed in regular patrol uniforms, or they may be wearing external bulletproof vests, kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment. The officers will be armed with firearms. Regardless of how they appear, remain calm, do as the officers tell you, and do not be afraid of them.
  • Put down anything you may be carrying and keep your hands visible at all times.
  • The first officers will not stop to aid injured people. Other officers and emergency medical personnel will follow to remove injured persons.
  • Keep in mind that after you have escaped to a safer location, the entire area is still a crime scene.
  • Police will usually not let anyone leave until the situation is fully under control and all witnesses have been identified and questioned or medically assessed.

Note:

  • Be mindful that violent attacks can involve any type of weapon, not just a gun. Knives, blunt objects, physical force, or explosives can be just as deadly as a gun. The suggested actions provided here are applicable in any violent encounter.
  • Plan ahead: Visualize possible escape routes, including physically accessible routes for students and staff with disabilities and others with limited mobility.

About Bomb Threats

Bomb threats are usually received by telephone, sometimes by note or letter.
Most bomb threats are intended to create panic - but all such calls must be taken seriously.
Bomb threats are assumed to be real and considered a threat to the university and its operations.

Campus Buildings

Campus buildings will be evacuated if a bomb threat is reported.

If You Receive a Bomb Threat

  • If you are on campus and receive a threat of any kind, immediately call 9-911.
  • If possible, get a coworker to call while you talk with the caller. Permit the caller to say as much as possible without interruption.
  • Then ask questions:
    • Where is the bomb?
    • When is the bomb going to go off?
    • What kind of bomb is it?
    • What does the bomb look like?
  • Take notes on everything said and your observations about background noise, voice characteristics, caller's emotional state, etc.
  • Use the Bomb Threat Checklist to document your observations.
  • Public Safety will advise if evacuation is necessary.
  • If there has been a threat, and you see a package or foreign object, do not touch it. Immediately call 9-911.
  • If an explosion occurs at any time, report it immediately.
  • False reporting of a bomb threat is a Class 6 Felony.

Prepare in Advance

  • Know locations of exits.
  • If your work station is located within an office, know exactly how many doors you will pass to reach the nearest exit. In heavy smoke, exit signs may be invisible but you can count the number of doors you pass.
  • Know locations of fire alarms and fire extinguishers.
  • Know where the general assembly area is located outside of the building.
  • Do not leave assembly area or re-enter building until instructed by institutional authorities or emergency personnel.

Fire on Your Floor

  • Activate the fire alarm. Alert others. Move everyone away from the area.
  • Immediately call 9-911 (or 911 from a cell phone) and report location of the fire.
  • Use fire extinguisher on small (wastebasket-size) fires only if it is safe to do so.
  • If you attempt to extinguish the fire, use the PASS method:
    • Pull the Pin
    • Aim at the Base of the Fire
    • Squeeze the Top Handle
    • Sweep from Side to Side.
  • For larger fires, GET OUT. Close the doors to confine the fire as much as possible.
  • If your clothing catches on fire, STOP…DROP…ROLL.
  • Follow directions of institutional authorities and emergency personnel.

When a Fire Alarm is Activated in your Building

  • Proceed to the nearest exit.
  • Feel the door, top and bottom, for heat (use back of hand).
  • If door is hot, do not open. If door is not hot, open slowly.
  • Stand behind the door and to one side; be prepared to close it quickly if fire is present.
  • Use the stairway for exit; do not use the elevator. Close the stairwell door behind you.
  • Stay low when moving through smoke; walk down to the ground floor and exit.
  • Do not return to the area until instructed to do so by emergency personnel.

If Trapped in a Room

  • Place cloth material around/under the door to prevent smoke from entering.
  • Retreat. Close as many doors as possible between you and the fire.
  • Be prepared to signal from window but DO NOT BREAK GLASS unless absolutely necessary.
  • If caught in smoke - drop to your hands and knees and crawl or crouch low with your head 30 to 36 inches above floor, watching the base of the wall as you go.
  • Hold your breath as much as possible; breathe shallowly through your nose using shirt as filter.
  • If forced to advance through flames - hold your breath. Move quickly and cover head and hair.

On-Campus Housing

  • In case of fire, sound the fire alarm. Call 9-911 (or 911 from a cell phone)
  • Notify a residence hall staff member.
  • Evacuation procedures are posted on the back of residence hall room doors.
  • Familiarize yourself with this information.
  • You must leave the building when the fire alarm sounds. Staff will check rooms for violators.
  • Failure to comply with emergency evacuation procedures will be documented and students will be subject to sanctions.

Terms:

  • Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes. Listen to local radio and TV stations for further updates.
  • Tornado Warning means a tornado has been sighted or radar indicates rotation in the clouds. TAKE SHELTER!

Civil Defense Sirens:

  • Sirens are designed for persons who are outdoors.
  • Persons indoors are expected to be aware of the weather and to listen to media for further information.
  • If the siren has sounded and stopped, it should not be construed as an all-clear. Wait for the media to issue the all-clear.

Sirens:

  • Tone For Three (3) Minutes - Severe weather. Seek shelter immediately.
  • Alternating high/low tones - Firefighter notification. No immediate danger to general public.
    • Siren Activation:
    • Sirens will be activated for imminent emergencies that require citizens to seek immediate shelter.
    • Sirens will not be activated for severe thunderstorm warnings.
    • Sirens will be activated for tornado warnings affecting the Vermillion or Wakonda areas.
    • Sirens will be activated by spotter request if they feel the situation is dangerous to the general public.
    • Sirens will be activated when The National Weather Service or The Office of Emergency Management provides direct information of immediate danger.
    • There will not be an all-clear sounded once the danger has passed.
  • Listen to KVHT Radio 106.3 for current updates and situation reports.

If a Tornado Warning is Issued:

  • If inside, go to a safe place in the building - normally basement areas, interior hallways, and locations away from windows.
  • If outside, go to the basement of a nearby sturdy building. Take shelter in a ditch, creek or other depression if close.
  • If in a motor vehicle, get out immediately and head for safety. Vehicles are not safe in tornadoes. Do not take shelter under a bridge or bypass structure.

Tornado Shelter Procedures:

  • If you are off campus and in Vermillion, the following locations have been identified as shelter locations.
    • Vermillion Fire & EMS Station - 820 North Dakota Street
    • National Guard Armory - 603 Princeton Street

After a Tornado:

  • Remain in safe areas away from broken glass and other sharp debris, and away from power lines, puddles containing power lines, and emergency traffic areas.
  • While waiting for emergency personnel to arrive, render aid to those injured.
  • Keep everyone out of damaged parts of buildings.
  • Ensure nobody is using matches or lighters, in case of leaking natural gas pipes or fuel tanks nearby.

On-Campus Housing

  • When a tornado is sighted in the Vermillion area, the city alarm will sound a solid tone for three (3) to five (5) minutes, alerting the public to the emergency.
  • All room doors should be closed.
  • Stay away from all windows, doors, and outside walls.
  • When the danger has passed, an all-clear signal will be announced by hall staff.
  • Failure to comply with emergency evacuation procedures will be documented and students will be subject to sanctions.
  • SHELTERS: All residents will go to the lowest level possible of the building. You must leave your room when the tornado siren sounds. Staff will check rooms for violators. Students are discouraged from leaving the building area during a tornado warning.

Hazardous Materials

  • Includes fuels, janitorial supplies, chemicals, and other items and materials such as fluorescent lights, batteries, asbestos, and paints.

For Spills and Accidents

  • Notify your supervisor and contact Public Safety immediately.
  • If spilled chemical is flammable, extinguish all nearby sources of ignition.
  • If a person has been splashed with a chemical, wash them with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, remove all contaminated clothing, and get medical attention.
  • If a person has been overexposed by inhalation, get the victim to fresh air; apply artificial respiration if necessary, and get medical attention.
  • In other cases of overexposure, get medical attention and follow the instructions of the medical professional.

Guidelines for using AEDs

  • Remain calm
  • Send someone to call 911 or University Police, 677-5342
  • Emergency Responders need:
    • Victim information
    • Address/location
  • Remove AED from cabinet and take to patient's side
  • Use tubular key in cabinet to turn off alarm if needed
  • Lift black cover and press yellow button to open AED and turn unit on
  • Pull red handle to remove patches from package
  • Attach patches to patient's bare chest according to the diagram
  • Follow voice prompts – see inside cover of device for further instructions

Locations of AEDs on campus

Building Location
Beacom Business School
Main Lobby
Burgess-Norton Residential Hall
Front Desk
Center for Fine Arts
By Art Gallery
Churchill-Haines Laboratories By Room 190
Center for Continuing Education West Entrance Door
Coyote Village Residential Hall Front Desk
DakotaDome
Dakota Dome on the Western Side
DakotaDome
Athletic Training Room (2)
DakotaDome
SW Arena Floor
Delzell Education Center By Rooms 111-112
Health Sciences Building 1st Floor - Wall Next to PA Classroom
Health Sciences Building 3rd Floor
I.D. Weeks Library Main Entrance
Law School North Hallway by Room 116
Lee Medical Building 1st Floor - Outside of South Restroom 
Lee Medical Building 2nd Floor - Outside of South Restroom 
Lee Medical Building  3rd Floor - Outside of South Restroom
Lee Medical Building  Lower Level by Room 15
McKusick Technology Center By Room 102
Muenster University Center By Information Desk
National Music Museum Second Floor Near Office 266
Neuharth Media Center
West Common Hallway
North Complex
South Commons Entry Way
Noteboom Hall By Room 122
Sanford Coyote Sports Center Training Room by A312
Sanford Coyote Sports Center Concourse by A319
Sanford Coyote Sports Center Concourse by A332
Sanford Coyote Sports Center Concourse by A502
Sanford Coyote Sports Center  OTPT - Wall Cabinet Inside Room A310F
Slagle Hall West Corridor -199A
Vucurevich Childcare Center Back Door Hallway
Wellness Center
2nd Floor Desk
Wellness Center Intramural Closet
Wellness Center Main Lobby