Who You Gonna Call? MHCC Public Safety

Our Public Safety team here at MHCC has its hands reached out all over the campus, watching over the safety of the students and staff who attend the school. But what does that all mean?

The Public Safety office has staff on campus 24/7, patrolling the campus, watching out for any unsafe behaviors or people, and making sure students and staff are comfortable at all times. They respond to all sorts of calls, ranging from someone feeling unsafe in an area, to emergencies that require immediate action.

For those emergencies they have a direct line to Gresham Police Department, where they can call for assistance if necessary.

Along with keeping the campus safe, Public Safety staff offer a variety of other services, such as walking students to their cars upon request, recovering keys locked in cars, and directing students to where they need to be going. Some students may be required to come onto campus after hours to do work, and Public Safety will send someone to unlock those needed rooms for them at the dial of a phone.

There are two phone lines you, or anyone at Mt. Hood can call: The emergency line (503-491-7911) and the non-emergency line (503-491-7310).

For any emergencies, call 911, and then the emergency line at MHCC. In any situation in which you or someone else’s safety is at risk, call the emergency line.

For any other services and non-emergencies, call the non-emergency line. This includes any campus rooms that need to be unlocked, locked or non-starting cars, a request for a parking pass or directions, etc.

There also are video cameras set up around the school to monitor areas, and Public Safety is open to student input to add more coverage if somewhere isn’t being surveyed enough. These cameras are watched constantly by the folks in the Public Safety office.

I had the opportunity to talk to Wayne Feagle, manager of Public Safety here at MHCC. Having served time in the armed services, he found his place here as an officer, helping people out. In his words, “Helping people here is real rewarding, and I’ve really enjoyed working here.”

If you ever have any questions about these issues, call in to the Public Safety office or walk up to an officer and ask!

Laramie OeDell