Emergency Calls

What is an Emergency Call?

Incidents requiring emergency responses, to which a police officer is immediately dispatched, including (but not limited to):

• Crimes in progress which present the potential for injury, property loss or damage.
• Situations in which the suspect is at the scene of a crime or still is in the immediate area.
• People acting in a suspicious manner.
• Situations where evidence at a crime scene needs to be protected and/or collected
• auto burglary, office burglaries/attempts, vandalism, sexual assaults, etc.
• Incidents where an officer is needed to immediately locate and interview witnesses.
• Situations where there is a need for crowd or traffic control.
• Requests for an Ambulance, Fire Department, or Medical Emergencies (This includes unusual odors, chemical spills, falls, sickness, etc.)
• Motor vehicle accidents that involve injuries.

What is a Non-Emergency Call?

Non-emergency calls are those which do not require emergency response of an officer, but response is necessary because of special circumstances.

• Incidents that involve minor injuries that require no medical attention.
• Incidents that require medical attention, but the victim has been removed from the scene.
• Incidents which involve only property damage or loss.
• Incidents which where not reported in a timely manner.

Look for the Blue Light

Nine outdoor emergency telephones are located across campus. Each phone can be easily identified by the blue light located on top of the poles, and each pole is marked "Emergency." All of these phones have a direct and immediate connection to the University Police Department. Calls are activated by pushing the button, which starts the strobe light. Once the dispatcher answers the phone, tell them what assistance you need. If there is no answer, or if you are unable to answer, an officer will be sent to the phone's location. The location of the call is noted and only the dispatcher can disconnect the phone. Calls coming from the emergency phones are treated as a top priority. These outdoor phones are for emergency use only (see above for emergency definitions). Please do not use them to call in auto assists, escorts, or to ask for general information. Campus buildings are usually open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Please use the campus phones inside the buildings for these type of calls. The exception to this rule is during the early morning hours when the campus is not open, and you require some type of auto service or escort. 

Emergency Numbers

For all emergencies, police, fire and medical, dial  9-1-1 from any campus telephone for immediate help. We request that you contact University Police even if you have already contacted other emergency responders. Unless other arrangements have been made, we would prefer the calls for emergency equipment come to the Police department first. Outside agencies often do not know the location of campus buildings, and precious time may be wasted as they search for the correct building. We have direct radio communication capabilities with other Sedgwick County law enforcement agencies and fire departments, as well as Sedgwick County EMS, and we can direct them to the correct place. Also, WSU officers are trained in CPR, carry automatic defibulators, and are trained in first aid. Officers can render assistance until medical help arrives.

For all other types of calls, dial  978-3450, or 3450 (TDD) from any campus telephone.