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From the Holistic Safety & Wellness Committee
Spring brings exciting momentum for the Holistic Safety & Wellness Committee (HSWC), which continues to advance a community-centered approach to campus safety across all four Peralta colleges and the District Service Center.
Community Safety Model Moves Forward
The Board of Trustees approved a holistic, hybrid community safety model combining armed and unarmed personnel with behavioral health specialists. The Board-approved model utilizes a tiered response approach that emphasizes prevention and early intervention whenever possible. Under this framework, community concerns are addressed using the least intrusive and most appropriate resource available—from information and referral services, wellness support, and conflict resolution to behavioral health intervention, community safety personnel, and, when necessary, sworn law enforcement response. By aligning resources to the nature of each incident, the District seeks to enhance safety while promoting student well-being, reducing unnecessary enforcement actions, and fostering a supportive campus environment.
The Board expressed strong interest in expanding behavioral health components, including a new hybrid role that pairs safety duties — escorts, event staffing, and incident reporting — with mental health training, a model not yet seen elsewhere in the Bay Area.
Active Threat & Emergency Preparedness
Terminology is shifting from “active shooter” to “active threat” for broader relevance, and active assailant training is being scheduled District-wide. New public address speakers for emergency alerts and expanded camera systems — including at Berkeley City College’s new building — are also in progress.
Use the PeraltaSafety App and Win!
Download the PeraltaSafety App for real-time alerts, safety escorts, and chat directly with dispatch.
- Call 911: contact emergency services and share GPS location with Community Safety
- Get Rave alerts (enable push notifications)
- Request a safety escort 24/7
Goal: The Committee set a goal to increase active app users by 1,000 (to 1,800 total) by June 30, but 1,260 is nothing to sneeze at! Faculty are encouraged to promote downloads through Canvas announcements, class incentives, and tabling events like Springfest.
Stay Informed & Win! Community Safety will conduct random app checks and reward PeraltaSafety users with prizes and gift cards!
Mandatory Parking Permits
Beginning April 13 and June 22, employees and students respectively are required to obtain permits through our paperless, cloud-based iParq system to park their vehicles on District-owned lots. More info at https://www.peralta.edu/community-safety/iparq.
Contact Community Safety
Emergencies: Always call 911
Non-Emergency: (510) 466-7236
Email: dispatch@peralta.edu
Wellness, Training & Community Updates
Narcan Training & Overdose Response
- Safety Ambassadors are currently trained in Narcan administration, and the Committee is working to expand this training more broadly.
- Proposals are underway to make Narcan kits as visible as AEDs and first aid kits, with locations mapped in the Campus Safety app.
Several members have volunteered to help.
CPR & First Aid Training
Business and Administrative Services (BAS) has offered certified CPR/First Aid and Personal Emergency Preparedness training to the Laney campus, with more sessions available if there is continued interest. Additional CPR training is also being planned districtwide.
New Quarterly Newsletter
The Committee approved launching a quarterly Holistic Safety and Wellness newsletter featuring positive safety updates, quarterly snapshots, and Clery Act metrics. The first edition is targeted before June 30, with a follow-up in September/October.
Mental Health First Aid Training
Mental health challenges are among the most common and most commonly unaddressed concerns in community college settings. Research finds that expanding access to mental and behavioral health care reduces crime and conflict in communities. When our community knows how to recognize early signs of distress and connect someone to help, we prevent harm and build the trust, engagement, and equity at the heart of our mission. This July, we invite 25 Peralta employees and students to earn Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification, an evidence-based program that has trained more than 4.5 million people and is backed by nearly 100 peer-reviewed studies. Like CPR for mental health, MHFA equips everyday people with a 5-step action plan to recognize signs of a mental health or substance-use challenge, offer initial support, and connect someone to professional help. The course is 8 hours total: 2 hours online at your own pace, plus 6 hours in-person on campus.
Help us choose a date and sign up: Mental Health First Aid Interest Form
Questions? Contact Kimberly King, Psychology Instructor, Laney College, at kking@peralta.edu.
Exterior Lighting & Campus Signage
- An exterior pathway lighting project at Merritt College is underway to improve safety along campus walkways.
- New campus signage is being finalized to encouragedog-leash compliance and reduce smoking on campus.
Laney Health & Safety Update
Laney's Health and Safety Committee formed a subcommittee to address hygiene protocols, privacy concerns, and community health, and is coordinating health and safety needs during the move from the Laney Tower.
Merritt Health & Safety Update
Merritt's joint Health and Safety / Facilities Committee discussed proper hazardous waste removal, accident reporting, and mold remediation in the P-Building, and is preparing for a fire drill on April 7.
Immigrant Rights & Support
The Committee continues to promote awareness of immigrant rights and protocols for staff response in the event of ICE activity on campus.
Welcome, Dani Black!
Welcome to Dani Black, the new Executive Assistant for the IT and Community Safety Offices, who transferred from Merritt College and now serves as Notetaker for the HSWC.
