MIT Department of Public Safety
MIT’s Department of Public Safety comprises offices and functions that ensure a safe and prepared campus. The offices and functions within the department facilitate preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies that may impact the MIT community. Led by John DiFava, the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police, the Department of Public Safety comprises:
- MIT Police
- MIT Emergency Management
- MIT EMS
- International Safety and Security
- Background check program
Helpful links:
MIT Emergency Information website
MIT International Coordinating Committee – Safety and Security
Contact:
General Questions
mitpd@mit.edu
Emergencies
MIT Police
Dial 100 from an MIT phone or (617) 253-1212
During campus-wide emergencies, check emergency.mit.net for emergency information and instructions.
MIT Police Department
Our goal is to provide a safe and secure environment that allows members of the MIT community to pursue their academic and research endeavors without distraction. We understand that good policing is as much about education as it is about enforcement. Our Community Policing Unit frequently reaches out to the community with support, information, and resources. Every August and September, for example, we introduce new students to our services and orient them to life on an urban campus.
We actively strive to foster a positive and rewarding experience for all sectors of our community.
We also collaborate with offices and organizations across campus to ensure the safety and security of our community. We work closely with MIT Emergency Management on both emergency preparedness and disaster response programing and procedures. We also work closely with our partners in the Division of Student Life to improve safety through programming, safety workshops, and ongoing communication and collaboration.
Our patrol officers are carefully trained to focus on maintaining a safe and secure academic and living environment. The regular presence of foot, bicycle, motorcycle, and cruiser patrols reinforces the importance we place on safety and on working in partnership with the members of our community. In addition, we build and maintain constructive relationships with residents of the surrounding neighborhoods and with peers from local and national universities.
If you have questions or suggestions about the way we work, please get in touch.
Helpful links
- Learn more about the programs and services of the MIT Police.
- Learn more about MIT Alert, the emergency notification system.
- Read the MIT Crime Prevention Unit’s tips for living on an urban campus.
- Review the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report created by the MIT Police in collaboration with campus partners.
- Request a crime-prevention seminar for your MIT department or organization.
- During campus-wide emergencies, check emergency.mit.net for emergency information and instructions.
Contact Information
Emergency Contact Information
From a campus phone: Dial 100
Cellphone: 617-253-1212
Off-Campus Phone: 617-253-1212
Non-Emergency Contact
Email: mitpd@mit.edu
Location
MIT Police Station
301 Vassar Street (W89)
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 253-2996
MIT Emergency Management
MIT Emergency Management works closely with departments, offices, labs, and centers across the Institute to prepare the MIT community for emergencies and disasters and ensure the continued operation of the Institute’s mission to keep our community safe and resilient to all hazards.
It is the vision of MIT Emergency Management to build and maintain a professional, exemplary, comprehensive emergency management and business continuity program for MIT that perpetuates resiliency across all sectors of the Institute.
The MIT Emergency Management program has six key mission areas:
- Prevention
- Mitigation
- Preparedness
- Response
- Recovery
- Continuity
To achieve these mission areas for MIT, MIT Emergency Management provides planning, training, and outreach services to the MIT community, including active shooter training, tabletop exercises, CPR classes, AED installation and maintenance, response guides for hazards that may impact MIT, snow and inclement weather response, Community Emergency Response Training (CERT), continuity planning, and general preparedness training. MIT Emergency Management works closely with MIT EHS to develop and maintain emergency preparedness plans for all DLCs on campus and with MIT Medical on pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery.
MIT Emergency Management manages the MIT Alert program, which is the system used to notify the MIT community of emergencies or dangerous situations impacting campus that require community members to take action to stay safe, or when an emergency may cause a disruption to operations at MIT. All current students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled in MIT Alert and our extended community (family members, neighbors, alumni, stakeholders, etc.) can choose to sign up as well. To customize your MIT Alert experience, visit the MIT Alert website.
MIT Emergency Management serves as the administrative department that manages MIT’s student-run ambulance service, MIT EMS. We partner with the MIT EMS executives to ensure the service is running smoothly and serving the MIT community to ensure quick response to medical emergencies on the campus.
The background check program for employees also reports to MIT Emergency Management through the Department of Public Safety.
Helpful links:
MIT Emergency Management website
MIT Emergency Information website
Training offerings (CPR, Active Shooter, CERT, general preparedness)
Contact
General Questions:
Phone
617-452-4368
Email
em-staff@mit.edu
Emergencies
MIT Police
Dial 100 from an MIT phone or (617) 253-1212
During campus-wide emergencies, check emergency.mit.net for emergency information and instructions.