Dial 80 Procedure

By the end of 2019, the old procedure which instructed community members to dial 80 from internal phones in an emergency will be phased out. In the next year, we will work with students, faculty and staff to ensure they know that in an emergency, they should call 911.

After extensive consultation with the Toronto Police Service and university leadership, it has been determined that in an emergency, 911 should be contacted first. This decision was made with the safety and security of the community in mind and is consistent with many other post-secondary institutions.  

We understand that the dial 80 procedure was in place for many years, and that this change may result in some questions. Here are some reasons why this change was made.

Why the dial 80 procedure is being phased out

Emergency dispatchers can triage better than we can

When you call 911 in an emergency, dispatchers can respond to a diverse range of issues to get you the help you need, be that the fire department, the police or an ambulance. Emergency medical responders are highly qualified for rare, but possible, emergency scenarios and have access to a larger network of resources. TMU Security staff are highly trained, but there are some emergencies that we are not equipped to deal with (i.e. active threats). Local authorities have the resources and tools to handle these situations more effectively and efficiently. This will help to ensure that TMU students, faculty and staff get emergency assistance as quickly as possible.

Need for consistent emergency procedures across the campus

As TMU’s students, faculty and staff might encounter an emergency situation anywhere on campus, be it outside, in a TMU-owned building or in a leased space, we wanted to ensure emergency procedures for all community members were consistent.

Mobile device use is on the rise

Because personal mobile devices are the primary source of communication and cannot dial 80, we are moving away from a procedure that limits you to call from an internal landline.

You already know 911

We are aligning the new procedures with what most staff, faculty and students have been taught, to call 911 in an emergency. This will help our community members move through this transition since Security won’t have to triage calls out to 911.

TMU Security is also available to you, 24/7

There may be times when you are in need of assistance that is not of an emergency nature. These situations do not pose an immediate threat to you, others or property, but are valid security matters that require immediate support. Our team is available to assist you anywhere on campus, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We recommend you program TMU Security’s phone number into your mobile device.

Learn about non-emergency situations where you may require TMU Security.

Accommodation requests and safety planning sessions

Until the end of 2019, you can still dial 80. However if you’re in a position at TMU where you frequently need to contact security, need security assistance but can’t easily converse to ask for help or if you require accommodation for accessibility reasons, please contact us for a safety planning session before the end of the phase out.

Our team can lead you and your team through safety planning sessions to address general concerns as a proactive approach or to debrief a particular incident. These sessions will prioritize and provide you with scenario-based guidance, resources and tools so you can make informed decisions.

Please contact us to arrange a session.