In recent months, the Emory Police Department (EPD) and the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) have introduced a number of measures to continue to enhance safety across Emory campuses.
Yesterday, EPD Chief Burt Buchtinec shared a message with the Emory community that details a new policy requiring the use of EmoryCards to enter the university’s academic and office buildings.
That policy, he says, is the latest in a long list of efforts to bolster campus safety.
“EPD and CEPAR collaborate to identify areas of concern and take steps to mitigate risks,” Buchtinec says. “The EmoryCard access policy strengthens how we protect our Emory campuses and foster safe spaces.”
Other recent safety enhancements include an increase in EPD staff; more security cameras on campus; the introduction of a working dog; expanding the blue light emergency phone camera system; and the formation of the EPD Student Advisory Council, which provides a channel for students to get to know officers and participate in community-based solutions.
In February, CEPAR will launch a new program that enables drones to act as first responders in emergency situations, providing authorities a bird’s-eye view for situational awareness.
Sam Shartar, assistant vice president for CEPAR, says his office’s focus is safety, resilience and preparedness. He adds that CEPAR and EPD review responses to emergency incidents across the country to assess trends and to review best practices.
“Collaborating with EPD and other campus partners ensures that the infrastructure is in place for a cohesive and collaborative response to any emergency,” Shartar says. “And we want the community to understand their responsibility, which is knowing what to do in those emergencies.”
A shared responsibility
EPD and CEPAR provide the framework for emergency responses, but Shartar encourages students, faculty and staff to learn how to keep themselves safe until help arrives.
For a comprehensive overview, Shartar recommends visiting emergency.emory.edu and downloading the EmorySafe app, where details are readily available on-the-go.
“We have evidence to support that the more prepared a community is, the more resilient it is,” Shartar says. “We use an all-hazards approach to planning, because there are a variety of emergencies that can occur. If you read the guidance in advance, you will understand how to best protect yourself from those risks and how we provide notifications so that you’re aware when a risk occurs.”
The website contains tailored advice for students and faculty and staff. Topics include everything from responding to an active shooter — run if there’s a safe path, hide if you can’t escape, fight as a last resort — to what to do in a medical emergency and how to stay safe during a tornado.
Buchtinec says strong community partnerships are vital to the department’s success.
“Campus safety is a collaborative effort. EPD is part of the Emory community, and you can expect to see more of our officers on foot and walking around our campuses,” he explains. I want the community to know that we’re present, and we’re here. Always be aware of your surroundings and remember the phrase, ‘if you see something, say something.’ If you need us, you can call us, 24/7 (404-727-6111).”
5 steps to be Emory Ready
Shartar recommends five steps, as detailed on the CEPAR website, everyone in the community can take to be ready for emergency situations:
- Check your contact information for the Emergency Notification program.
- Download the Emory Safe app.
- Review emergency information including the student and faculty/staff preparedness checklists and the just-in-time guide for campus emergencies.
- Identify and locate emergency resources including severe weather refuge areas, fire exits and automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Take life support training on campus to learn CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator, how to treat an obstructed airway and how to control bleeding.
Collaborating with students
Last fall marked the launch of the EPD Student Advisory Council. Through collaboration with the Emory Student Government Association, Graduate Student Government Association and Oxford Student Government Association, EPD’s Student Advisory Council will continue to meet regularly this semester to discuss campus safety.
“The council is important because it’s an opportunity for student leaders to talk to us and establish a dialogue on how we can help each other,” Buchtinec says. “We had a really good kickoff meeting in October. Students were open and engaged. For us, it’s about how can we listen to the community, learn what the students are thinking and collaborate as partners.”
The initiative has already made an impact.
In the inaugural meeting, students asked why there weren’t more security cameras to assist officers in potential emergencies. The discussion resulted in the additional cameras being installed across the university.
Emory has also invested in a forthcoming operational security center that will allow robust monitoring of those cameras.
“That meeting was the start of the process, and I was able to take student concerns to university leadership and address them,” Buchtinec says.
CEPAR has its own student program, called Campus Preparedness Ambassadors.
The group’s orientation trains students in proactive preparation and covers CPR certification, as well as how to control bleeding, respond to fires, administer Narcan to an overdose victim and more. Ambassadors then participate in community outreach and peer-to-peer education to increase emergency preparedness across campus.
“When a student graduates or staff or faculty are in the community,” Shartar says, “these skills will serve them well wherever they go — and they’ll make other communities more resilient, as well.”
Fostering a safer community
One of Buchtinec’s primary goals is to ensure that students feel comfortable engaging with EPD officers on a daily basis.
“We want to be available to students, and we want to support them,” he says. “We all want the same things: a safe learning environment that fosters success.”
Cultivating a climate of safety includes several resources. Using the EmorySafe app, students can contact EPD for assistance when walking home to their residence hall late at night.
In late 2025, Emory increased its number of blue light phone cameras. Fourteen phones were installed or updated on the Atlanta campus adding to the vast network of phones on our campuses. At the press of a button, the community can connect directly to EPD. Officers are always available to assist.
“When we hire people, we’re looking for officers who understand the value of customer service and community engagement,” he says.
He encourages people to say hello to EPD officers on campus, and be on the lookout for Leo, EPD's working dog, when he’s out on patrol.
“He’s super friendly and high energy,” Buchtinec adds.
But Leo is trained to perform serious work related to campus safety, including explosive detection and tracking missing persons.
He is part of Emory’s continuous commitment to assessing campus safety and ensuring preparedness for any emergency.
“Our true north,” Shartar says, “is keeping people safe.”