Division of Safety and Compliance
Two Safety & Compliance Staff Members show students the CATSafe App.

What is Safety Week?

Safety Week is an annual event at UVM, dedicated to promoting safety awareness and preparedness across our campus through hands-on activities and interactive workshops. Safety Week is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and take an active role in enhancing campus security.

2026 Schedule

Monday September 21, 2026
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  • De-Escalation & Communication Strategies (Open to all students and employees) - Jack & Shirley Silver Pavilion - 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
    • A dynamic conversation about using strategic communication techniques and other non-physical methods to stabilize, slow down, or ease the intensity of challenging situations. The focus is on defusing tensions and creating space for calm, constructive dialogue—without resorting to force. Together, we’ll explore both effective and ineffective examples of engaging with people in an elevated emotional state. We’ll also look at the interplay between high emotions and low rational thought, and how intentional communication can shift the balance toward safety, understanding, and resolution. (In-Person ONLY - 90 min. session).
  • Empowerment Self-Defense Training (Open to all students) - Patrick Gymnasium - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This interactive workshop provides participants with practical self-defense skills while exploring the psychology of violence and conflict de-escalation. Through a mix of hands-on practice and group discussions, participants will learn effective real-world techniques to enhance personal safety and build confidence. The workshop may include striking pads for practicing techniques, but instructors take a trauma-informed approach, creating a caring and welcoming environment. Participants are encouraged to engage at their own comfort level, with no-touch learning options available for all techniques. The session also challenges common self-defense myths and emphasizes a community-based approach to safety, making it a shared responsibility. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session).  Learn more about UVM's Empowerment Self-Defense program
  • ALICE Workshop: Scenario-Based Threat Response (2-Hour Intensive, open to all students, faculty, and staff) - Kalkin Hall Room 004 - 7 pm - 9 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This in-person, scenario-based workshop provides participants with critical strategies for responding to an active threat using the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) framework. Designed for immersive learning, this 2-hour session includes hands-on practice with key response techniques—lockdown, evacuation, and countering—through realistic scenarios. Participants will gain confidence making rapid decisions under stress and develop practical skills to enhance their personal and group safety in the event of a violent intruder or active threat. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session). 

Tuesday September 22, 2026
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  • Cones4CATSafe - Davis Center Atrium (T1) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Show CATSafe downloaded on your phone and get a coupon for a free ice cream cone.
  • CAT ECare - Davis Center Atrium (T2) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Catamount Emergency Care or CAT ECare is a health and safety program that consists of lifesaving equipment at stations distributed around campus. CAT ECare emergency stations include Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), bleeding control kits, and Narcan®.  Stop by to learn more about these station, when training is offered and how to get involved.
  • Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) (T3) - Davis Center Atrium – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • Mental Health Urgent Care is a walk-in crisis support space for anyone experiencing a self-defined crisis. MHUC provides multidisciplinary crisis support and assessment with peers, care managers, clinicians, and nursing in a non-hospital setting. We work with guests to create a plan tailored to individual needs. Located at 1 S. Prospect St, open Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
  • UVM Center for Health and Wellbeing (T4) - Davis Center Atrium – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • The Center for Health and Wellbeing at UVM (CHWB) offers trainings and services to promote safety and wellbeing for everyone at UVM. Learn more about how you can support your community, in reducing interpersonal violence, suicide and disordered eating. What's your Green Dot?
  • UVM Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) - Davis Center Atrium (T5) – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • UVM Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) works to protect the health and safety of the campus community by providing training, resources, and guidance on safe practices in classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, and other campus environments.  You can try out a Geiger counter and air monitoring equipment and see how EHS uses these tools to help keep our campus safe. Stop by to learn more, ask questions, and pick up free safety stickers and swag.
  • Fire Extinguisher Challenge (Morning Session) - Andrew Harris Commons (Outside Davis Student Center) - 10 am - 12:00 noon
    • Learn how to use a Fire Extinguisher and test how fast you can put out a fire - prizes for best times.
  • Mobility Safety - Andrew Harris Commons (Outside Davis Student Center) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Join Transportation and Parking Services and the Office of Sustainability for an event dedicated to safety on wheels! Whether you ride a bike, take the bus, or drive a car, our event will include interactive demonstrations to help you make every journey, a safe journey. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gear up for safer travels together!
  • Empowerment Self-Defense Training (Open to all employees) - Patrick Gymnasium - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This interactive workshop provides participants with practical self-defense skills while exploring the psychology of violence and conflict de-escalation. Through a mix of hands-on practice and group discussions, participants will learn effective real-world techniques to enhance personal safety and build confidence. The workshop may include striking pads for practicing techniques, but instructors take a trauma-informed approach, creating a caring and welcoming environment. Participants are encouraged to engage at their own comfort level, with no-touch learning options available for all techniques. The session also challenges common self-defense myths and emphasizes a community-based approach to safety, making it a shared responsibility. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session).  Learn more about UVM's Empowerment Self-Defense program
  • ALICE Workshop: Scenario-Based Threat Response (2-Hour Intensive, open to all students, faculty, and staff) - Kalkin Hall Room 004 - 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This in-person, scenario-based workshop provides participants with critical strategies for responding to an active threat using the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) framework. Designed for immersive learning, this 2-hour session includes hands-on practice with key response techniques—lockdown, evacuation, and countering—through realistic scenarios. Participants will gain confidence making rapid decisions under stress and develop practical skills to enhance their personal and group safety in the event of a violent intruder or active threat. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session). 

Wednesday September 23, 2026
Body
  • Cones4CATSafe - Davis Center Atrium (T1) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Show CATSafe downloaded on your phone and get a coupon for a free ice cream cone.
  • CAT ECare - Davis Center Atrium (T2) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Catamount Emergency Care or CAT ECare is a health and safety program that consists of lifesaving equipment at stations distributed around campus. CAT ECare emergency stations include Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), bleeding control kits, and Narcan®.  Stop by to learn more about these station, when training is offered and how to get involved.
  • Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) (T3) - Davis Center Atrium – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • Mental Health Urgent Care is a walk-in crisis support space for anyone experiencing a self-defined crisis. MHUC provides multidisciplinary crisis support and assessment with peers, care managers, clinicians, and nursing in a non-hospital setting. We work with guests to create a plan tailored to individual needs. Located at 1 S. Prospect St, open Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
  • UVM Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) - Davis Center Atrium (T4) – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • UVM Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) works to protect the health and safety of the campus community by providing training, resources, and guidance on safe practices in classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, and other campus environments.  You can try out a Geiger counter and air monitoring equipment and see how EHS uses these tools to help keep our campus safe. Stop by to learn more, ask questions, and pick up free safety stickers and swag.
  • HOPE Works - Davis Center Atrium (T5) – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • HOPE Works is dedicated to ending all forms of sexual violence.  We provide crisis counseling and advocacy for those whose lives have been affected by sexual violence. Our education outreach work strives to change attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate and condone the cycle of violence.
  • Mobility Safety - Andrew Harris Commons (Outside Davis Student Center) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Join Transportation and Parking Services and the Office of Sustainability for an event dedicated to safety on wheels! Whether you ride a bike, take the bus, or drive a car, our event will include interactive demonstrations to help you make every journey, a safe journey. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gear up for safer travels together!
  • Fire Extinguisher Challenge (Morning Session) - Andrew Harris Commons (Outside Davis Student Center) - 10 am - 12:00 noon
    • Learn how to use a Fire Extinguisher and test how fast you can put out a fire - prizes for best times.
  • De-Escalation & Communication Strategies (Open to all students and employees) - Jack & Shirley Silver Pavilion - 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
    • A dynamic conversation about using strategic communication techniques and other non-physical methods to stabilize, slow down, or ease the intensity of challenging situations. The focus is on defusing tensions and creating space for calm, constructive dialogue—without resorting to force. Together, we’ll explore both effective and ineffective examples of engaging with people in an elevated emotional state. We’ll also look at the interplay between high emotions and low rational thought, and how intentional communication can shift the balance toward safety, understanding, and resolution. (In-Person ONLY - 90 min. session).
  • ALICE Workshop: Scenario-Based Threat Response (2-Hour Intensive, open to all students, faculty, and staff) - Kalkin Hall Room 004 - 7 pm - 9 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This in-person, scenario-based workshop provides participants with critical strategies for responding to an active threat using the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) framework. Designed for immersive learning, this 2-hour session includes hands-on practice with key response techniques—lockdown, evacuation, and countering—through realistic scenarios. Participants will gain confidence making rapid decisions under stress and develop practical skills to enhance their personal and group safety in the event of a violent intruder or active threat. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session). 

Thursday September 24, 2026
Body
  • Cones4CATSafe - Davis Center Atrium (T1) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Show CATSafe downloaded on your phone and get a coupon for a free ice cream cone.
  • CAT ECare - Davis Center Atrium (T2) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Catamount Emergency Care or CAT ECare is a health and safety program that consists of lifesaving equipment at stations distributed around campus. CAT ECare emergency stations include Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), bleeding control kits, and Narcan®.  Stop by to learn more about these station, when training is offered and how to get involved.
  • Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) (T3) - Davis Center Atrium – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • Mental Health Urgent Care is a walk-in crisis support space for anyone experiencing a self-defined crisis. MHUC provides multidisciplinary crisis support and assessment with peers, care managers, clinicians, and nursing in a non-hospital setting. We work with guests to create a plan tailored to individual needs. Located at 1 S. Prospect St, open Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
  • UVM Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) - Davis Center Atrium (T4) – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • UVM Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) works to protect the health and safety of the campus community by providing training, resources, and guidance on safe practices in classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, and other campus environments.  You can try out a Geiger counter and air monitoring equipment and see how EHS uses these tools to help keep our campus safe. Stop by to learn more, ask questions, and pick up free safety stickers and swag.
  • HOPE Works - Davis Center Atrium (T5) – 10 am – 2:30 pm
    • HOPE Works is dedicated to ending all forms of sexual violence.  We provide crisis counseling and advocacy for those whose lives have been affected by sexual violence. Our education outreach work strives to change attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate and condone the cycle of violence.
  • Fire Extinguisher Challenge (Afternoon Session) - Andrew Harris Commons (Outside Davis Student Center) - 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
    • Learn how to use a Fire Extinguisher and test how fast you can put out a fire - prizes for best times.
  • Mobility Safety - Andrew Harris Commons (Outside Davis Student Center) - 10 am - 2:30 pm
    • Join Transportation and Parking Services and the Office of Sustainability for an event dedicated to safety on wheels! Whether you ride a bike, take the bus, or drive a car, our event will include interactive demonstrations to help you make every journey, a safe journey. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gear up for safer travels together!
  • Empowerment Self-Defense Training (Open to all employees) - Patrick Gymnasium - 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This interactive workshop provides participants with practical self-defense skills while exploring the psychology of violence and conflict de-escalation. Through a mix of hands-on practice and group discussions, participants will learn effective real-world techniques to enhance personal safety and build confidence. The workshop may include striking pads for practicing techniques, but instructors take a trauma-informed approach, creating a caring and welcoming environment. Participants are encouraged to engage at their own comfort level, with no-touch learning options available for all techniques. The session also challenges common self-defense myths and emphasizes a community-based approach to safety, making it a shared responsibility. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session).  Learn more about UVM's Empowerment Self-Defense program
  • Driver Safety Trivia - Brennan's Pub (Davis Center) - 6:00 pm
    • Join ThinkFast Interactive for a fast-paced, game show-style trivia experience focused on driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety. Using wireless remotes, you'll compete with friends, test your knowledge, and learn important safety tips in a fun, engaging environment. This one-hour interactive program is free for UVM students and packed with prizes, friendly competition, and valuable real-world information. Don't miss this exciting chance to play, learn, and stay safe!
  • ALICE Workshop: Scenario-Based Threat Response (2-Hour Intensive, open to all students, faculty, and staff) - Patrick Leahy - Room 102 - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (Register Here - Space Limited)
    • This in-person, scenario-based workshop provides participants with critical strategies for responding to an active threat using the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) framework. Designed for immersive learning, this 2-hour session includes hands-on practice with key response techniques—lockdown, evacuation, and countering—through realistic scenarios. Participants will gain confidence making rapid decisions under stress and develop practical skills to enhance their personal and group safety in the event of a violent intruder or active threat. (In-Person ONLY - 2 hr. session). 

Friday September 2, 2026
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  • Policy Fridays - Safety Week Edition! (Virtual Session) - 10 am - 11 am
    • Join the Office of Compliance and Privacy Services for Policy Fridays! At this session you will get clear, concise summaries of new or updated policies and procedures and learn why we have a policy, what the policy requirements are, and who needs to know. These sessions are virtual via Teams.
Students lounging in hammocks on a spring day outside Kalkin Hall

Take the SAFE Survey & Enter to Win!

Complete the SAFE Survey during Campus Safety Week to help shape future safety programs, training opportunities, and resources at UVM. The survey takes less than 2 minutes to complete, and participants will be eligible for fun prize drawings and giveaways.

Take the SAFE Survey
Member of UVM Rescue spraying fire extinguisher with Fire Marshal standing by.

Fire Extinguisher Challenge

The Fire Extinguisher Challenge is a featured event at Safety Week. Learn how to use a Fire Extinguisher and test how fast you can put out a fire - prizes for best times.