NOVA s dispatchers are consummate professionals. over 120 hours of initial training, six months of on the job training, and continuing

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T O P I C S P A G E 1 A P R I L 2 0 1 7 NOVA Honors Our Public Safety Dispatchers Staying Safe From Floods Download LifeSafe Meet Mike Gonzalez, NOVA Dispatcher Meet Nathaniel Sellers, Emergency

installation and assessment Police Dispatch (703) 764-5000 Call Us 24/7/365 NOVA Honors Our Public Safety Dispatchers The second full week of April (April 9-15) is National Public Safety

This event, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, is celebrated annually, and honors the thousands of professionals who respond to emergency calls,

Recent events have highlighted the work of NOVA s telecommunications professionals, who operate 24/7/365 in a state-of-the-art communications center.

1 T O P I C S P A G E 1 A P R I L NOVA Honors Our Public Safety Dispatchers Staying Safe From Floods Download LifeSafe Meet Mike Gonzalez, NOVA Dispatcher Meet Nathaniel Sellers, Emergency Coordinator NOVA Police Training and Events S E L E C T E D P O L I C E S E R V I C E S Escorts to vehicles Motorist assists Crime prevention and response training Lost and found Child safety seat installation and assessment Police Dispatch (703) Call Us 24/7/365 NOVA Honors Our Public Safety Dispatchers The second full week of April (April 9-15) is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This event, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, is celebrated annually, and honors the thousands of professionals who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency personnel and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to citizens. Recent events have highlighted the work of NOVA s telecommunications professionals, who operate 24/7/365 in a state-of-the-art communications center. They respond to all crimes, alarms, and campus calls for assistance. They respond to requests for services submitted in person and via telephone calls and NOVA s free LiveSafe public safety app (download LiveSafe at and promulgate timely warnings and emergency notifications to keep NOVA safe. Finally, they provide countless services to those needing access to a secured area, lost and found information, and help in navigating the NOVA bureaucracy. Because our dispatchers are so intimately involved in so many safety and security activities, it should come as no surprise that they conduct more than 60,000 transactions annually! NOVA s dispatchers are consummate professionals. They receive over 120 hours of initial training, six months of on the job training, and continuing training throughout the year. They are proficient in the National Incident Command System, the Incident Command System, and the Virginia Criminal Information Network. It is no wonder Dan Dusseau, Director of Public Safety at NVCC, lauded the college s dispatchers with high praise, stating Our dispatchers are the unsung heroes of NOVA s public safety program. They are available 24/7/365, and provide everything from routine to lifesaving information and services to the NOVA community. NOVA s dispatch center is located on the Annandale campus in the CA building, and can be reached anytime by calling or via LiveSafe. We congratulate our dispatchers for their unsurpassed dedication and professionalism. Feel free to drop by or call Dispatch to say hello, get a tour of the facilities, and acknowledge their superior service to the college.

2 P A G E 2 Staying Safe from Floods Last month, in our spring hazard series, we discussed tornado preparedness. We continue this series with flooding, another spring hazard that can occur just as suddenly. Flooding is a major annual threat in Virginia. While it is a common hazard, not all floods are alike. Some floods develop slowly. Others, such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. The tips below will help you prepare for flooding emergencies. Basic Safety Tips Avoid walking or driving through flood waters. Just a few inches of moving water can knock you down. Just 6 can make you lose vehicle control. Almost half of flood deaths happen in vehicles. If there is a chance of flash flooding, move immediately to higher ground. Flash floods are the #1 cause of weather-related deaths. If floodwaters rise around your car but the water is not moving, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Do not leave the car to enter moving water. Avoid camping or parking along streams, Prepare Before a Flood Contact your county or city to determine your flood risk. Make a flood emergency plan with your family. Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies. Familiarize yourself with local emergency plans. Know where to go and how to get there should you need to get to higher ground, the highest level of a building, or Definitions Flood Watch or Flash Flood Watch There is a possibility of flooding or a flash flood in the next 36 hours. Flood Warning Issued when a river gauge has exceeded, or is forecast to exceed, a predetermined flood stage. Flash Flood Warning Flash flooding is imminent, generally within the next 1 to 3 hours; usually issued based on observed heavy rainfall (measured or radar estimated), but may also be issued for significant dam breaks that have occurred or are imminent. Get Your Home Ready Homeowner s insurance does not cover flood damage. About 25% of all flood claims come from outside of the floodplain, but only 4.3% of Virginia homes in those areas are covered by flood insurance. Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel in your home if you live in an area that has a high flood risk. Consider installing check valves to stop floodwater from backing up into the drains of your home. Unplug electrical appliances and move them to higher levels, if possible. Do not touch an electric appliance if you are wet or standing in water. For more information, please contact NOVA s Office of Emergency Management and Safety at or Also, please visit prepare-recover/threat/floods/ and

LiveSafe is a groundbreaking effort that has improved communications between the NOVA community and its police, he stated.

3 P A G E 3 Download LiveSafe, the Next Step in Campus Safety On April 2, 2014, NOVA launched LiveSafe, its free mobile safety app. Response has been excellent, and almost 4,000 have downloaded this outstanding resource on their Android or i- phones. NOVA Police Chief Dan Dusseau, is a big fan. LiveSafe is a groundbreaking effort that has improved communications between the NOVA community and its police, he stated. It allows instantaneous and, if desired, anonymous contact with the police to provide tips on suspicious, illegal, or emergency activities, and it allows the user to upload audio, video and photographs. This evidence greatly assists us in responding more effectively, with the ultimate benefit of making our campuses safer and more secure, Dusseau added. LiveSafe has shown significant benefits in the last three years. Police dispatch has already received more than 150 tips, including information about vehicle accidents, assaults, disorderly conduct, suspicious activities, and campus equipment/facilities in need of repair. Dispatch has also received more than 65 emergency messages and provided almost 800 virtual escorts to NOVA community members. The app has also been used to offer suggestions to the police. Finally, LiveSafe provides immediate emergency response information on what to do in the event of many emergency situations, such as an active shooter, a bomb threat, severe weather, or sexual assault. Downloading the app is easy. Even a police lieutenant can do it! said Lt. John Weinstein, who coordinated the LiveSafe roll out for the police department. It takes about a minute. Just go to itunes or Google Play, download LiveSafe and select NOVA as your school, and fill in the profile. NOVA is one of the few colleges in Northern Virginia that offers this free personal safety app. Take a moment and do something that will empower you, keep you and your friends safe, provide peace of mind, and make NOVA s already safe campuses and centers even safer. If you have any questions, stop by any campus police office or call Police dispatch ( ) or check out the police website at for the LiveSafe link. If you would like a presentation at a division or staff meeting or for a class, call dispatch and the police will make it happen! Download NOVA s free LiveSafe mobile safety app.

P A G E 4 Meet Mike Gonzalez, NOVA Dispatcher Michael Gonzalez currently serves NOVA as a public safety dispatcher, and has been with the College since 2009.

He spent three months in that position before becoming a NOVA public safety dispatcher in November 2011. Mike has obtained superior professional training and holds numerous certifications.

4 P A G E 4 Meet Mike Gonzalez, NOVA Dispatcher Michael Gonzalez currently serves NOVA as a public safety dispatcher, and has been with the College since He began his career as a P-14 Parking Enforcement officer at the Manassas campus and transitioned to a full-time overnight campus security officer at Manassas in He spent three months in that position before becoming a NOVA public safety dispatcher in November Mike has obtained superior professional training and holds numerous certifications. Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services certifications include Communications Basic, General Instructor, Field Training Officer (which authorizes him to train and assess new dispatchers), campus security officer, and Virginia Criminal Information Network operator. He is also certified by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials as both Public Safety (PST-1) and Law Enforcement Telecommunicators, Active Shooter for Public Safety Communications, and Comprehensive Quality Assurance. He puts these skills to work in many ways that benefit the College: he is on the LiveSafe mobile Safety App and employee recruitment and retention committees. Mike also serves on the Public Safety Advisory Committee reporting to Police Chief Dan Dusseau. Mike is married and has two children. In his spare time, he enjoys video gaming, painting, and playing both the electric and acoustic guitars. Mike Gonzalez has played a significant role in the establishment and maintenance of the high standards of service that keep the college safe, thereby contributing to the achievement of its academic mission. Meet Nathaniel Sellers, Emergency Coordinator The Office of Emergency Management and Safety (OEMS) welcomes NOVA s newest Emergency Coordinator, Nathaniel Sellers. Nathaniel will be responsible for OEMS operations at the Woodbridge and Alexandria campuses, and will conduct training and exercises college-wide including the Campus Community Emergency Response Team (C-CERT). He was previously the Emergency Planner at the Prince William Health District of the Virginia Department of Health, and is currently an Emergency Management Specialist for the D.C. Air National Guard. Prior to joining the Air Guard, Nathaniel was a Medic for the Army National Guard in Idaho and Virginia, and deployed overseas. Nathaniel earned a Bachelor s degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master s degree from American Military University in Emergency and Disaster Management. Nathaniel has achieved many awards and certifications, including: Hazardous Materials Technician, FEMA Professional Development Series, DHS National Planners Course, Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), American Heart Association BLS CPR/AED, and OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Safety and Health. Nathanial can be reached at nsellers@nvcc.edu.

P A G E 5 NOVA Police Training and Events NOVA Police conduct an active community outreach program and are looking for opportunities to address your class, club, division, or campus at large on any

5 P A G E 5 NOVA Police Training and Events NOVA Police conduct an active community outreach program and are looking for opportunities to address your class, club, division, or campus at large on any of the following topics: Active Shooter Response Dealing with Difficult People Staying Safe in the Classroom Staying Safe on the Campus Self-Defense Considerations Survival 101: Staying Safe in the Community 10 Things Adjuncts (and other faculty) Should Know About Security 20 Things You Probably Don t Know About the NOVA Police (But You Should) Bomb Threat Response Sexual Assault, Crimes Against Women, and/or Bystander Intervention Identity Theft DUI Awareness Narcotics If you are interested in scheduling any police training, please contact Officer Juan Cardenas at jcardenas@nvcc.edu or (703) to arrange a convenient time. NOVA COLLECTION SITES 04/29/ :00am - 2:00pm Annandale Campus 8333 Little River Turnpike CA Building 1 st Floor, Main Entrance Lobby Area Annandale, VA Contact Officer Juan Cardenas, NOVA Police Community Outreach Officer, at Jcardenas@nvcc.edu with any questions. Alexandria Campus 5000 Dawes Ave. Tyler Building 1 st Floor Main Entrance Lobby Area Alexandria, VA *We cannot accept any syringes*

June NOVA Public Safety Newsletter. Police Dispatch (703) Call Us 24/7/365. #PENELOPENOVAPOLICECAT

June NOVA Public Safety Newsletter. Police Dispatch (703) Call Us 24/7/365. #PENELOPENOVAPOLICECAT 1 NOVA Public Safety Newsletter June 2018 OFFICERS MAKING ENTRY INTO THE WAC BUILDING DURING ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING IN THIS ISSUE Penelope, The NOVA Police Cat Penelope the NOVA Police Cat demonstrates