Adrian College Campus Safety uses holiday break to better prepare for any emergency
Posted Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Author: Mickey Alvarado
ADRIAN, Mich. — While Adrian College’s students are out on holiday break from Dec. 12 to Jan. 12, its Campus Safety Department is busy checking video surveillance equipment, door locks and going over emergency policy and procedures.
“We want to make sure that Adrian College as a whole is prepared to respond to any given situation. It really is better to be safe than sorry,” said Adrian College Campus Safety Director Wade Beitelschies.
Adrian College issues alert notifications based on situations where a continuing threat to campus safety is present. Some examples of situations where an alert would be issued are a building fire, a hazardous material spill/leak, severe weather-related threat, or an active shooter.
Students are automatically enrolled for alert notifications.
When returning to Adrian College’s campus, students will be reminded to go over their student handbook to know exactly what to do in case of an emergency and how to report it.
Adrian College’s Emergency Intervention Policy states in order to provide the best and safest response to an emergency, the following guidelines have been established:
- In the event of an emergency, dial 911. State the nature of your emergency and your location.
- Contact the Department of Campus Safety at extension 4333.
- If possible, stay with any victim(s) until help arrives.
Adrian College’s Department of Campus Safety has an avid interest in maintaining the health and safety of students, employees and campus guests, providing continuous 24-hour services designed to assist in all areas of safety and security.
The vast majority of crimes on campus involve theft of personal property. Almost always, the theft is from an unlocked room or unattended common area.
Students can prevent these “crimes of opportunity” by following these steps:
- Always lock your door when you leave your room.
- Do not prop open residence hall doors for any reason.
- Keep valuables, such as wallets, purses, money and jewelry in a secure area.
- Do not leave notes on your door announcing that no one is present.
- Never loan out keys or ID cards.
- Report anyone acting suspiciously to Campus Safety or a Residence Life staff member.
- Report any doors, locks or windows in need of repair to a Residence Life staff member immediately.
- Do not let non-residents into halls. Visitors should be let in by the expecting student only.
Beitelschies suggested students or visitors make a mental note of what a suspicious person looked like and the cloths they were wearing.
“Take a picture, if possible,” Beitelschies said. “We have camaras located throughout campus but there may be a blind spot.”
Adrian College follows the U.S. Department of Homeland and Security guidelines for an active shooter situation. Campus safety has a specific active shooter response protocol, which was immediately deployed during a false alarm in 2023. Campus safety officers work in close cooperation with the Adrian Police Department, Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department, and Michigan State Police to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to incidents.
The college provides information on individual actions based on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “Run, Hide, Fight” model:
- Run (Evacuate): If a safe escape route is available, leave belongings behind and evacuate.
- Hide: If evacuation is not possible, find a secure hiding place, lock or block the entry, and silence your phone.
- Fight: As a last resort, if life is in imminent danger, attempt to incapacitate the shooter using physical aggression and improvised weapons.
More details on these safety measures and policies can be found on the Adrian College Campus Safety website page.
