Health and Safety

All residents have the option of identifying a person whom the University will notify in the case of an emergency or if the resident is determined missing by Public Safety or the local law enforcement agency. The contact information will be confidential, accessible only to authorized campus officials and law enforcement, and may not be disclosed outside a missing person investigation.

Residents who suspect that a gas leak has occurred should take the following actions:

• Quickly open nearby doors and windows and then leave the building immediately. Do not attempt to locate the leak. Do not turn on or off any electrical appliances, do not smoke or light matches or lighters, and do not use a house phone or cell phone within the building.
• After leaving the building, from a safe distance away from the building, call Public Safety immediately at (212) 305-7979 to report the suspected gas leak.
• After calling Public Safety, call the gas service provider for the building as follows: Con Edison (800) 752-6633

If Con Edison detects an issue in the building and they deem it necessary, they may shut down gas service to an entire building so that the issue can be addressed and repairs arranged. The Office of Housing Services takes such issues very seriously and works directly with Con Edison and the New York City Department of Buildings, to make sure that safe and appropriate measures are taken to complete necessary repairs and restore service as soon as possible.

The Office of Housing Services recognizes those affected most significantly by building-wide gas service interruptions are our residents. We are committed to providing support during an outage to make your home as comfortable as possible until services can be safely restored.

Any repairs needed to restore service will be scheduled by the Office of Housing Services and communicated to residents. Once repairs are completed, the work will be inspected by Con Edison and the New York City Department of Buildings. Unfortunately, repairs and required inspections may take some time to complete. The goal is always to move as safely and quickly as possible to restore the services.

For more information on necessary steps to restore gas after a service interruption, please review How Con Edison Responds to Outages. If residents experience a building-wide service interruption and have questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Housing Services. 

The Office of Housing Services wants to ensure the health and safety of all our residents. In case of an emergency, call 911 and CUIMC Public Safety at 212-305-7979 immediately.

If you believe that a fellow student or resident has a health or safety issue and feel it’s not necessary to call 911, call the Office of Housing Services during business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.). If it's after-hours, call CUIMC Public Safety at 212-305-8100 so a record of the issue is kept.

Student Health on Haven offers a variety of support services, including:

• Counseling Services
• Addiction Information and Management Strategies (AIMS)
• Well-Being and Health Promotion
• Medical Services

For additional information, including how to make an appointment, visit the Student Health on Haven website.

The University takes special measures to provide a secure living environment for all its residents. The Office of Housing Services have a limited amount of staff that reside either in or very near the buildings to assist with campus emergencies. The Columbia University Department of Public Safety instructs and oversees all building personnel on security and safety procedures, making Washington Heights one of the safest neighborhoods in New York.
Columbia University's Department of Public Safety also provides car and foot patrols for the medical center. They also maintain strategically situated guard kiosks and provide coverage for emergency call boxes located throughout the area. Evenig and night shuttle and escort services to locations throughout the neighborhood are available to all CUIMC students.

Smoking is prohibited on all CUIMC property, both indoors and outdoors. This policy extends to all CUIMC residential facilities, including all apartments; public spaces such as lobbies, hallways, and stairwells; building entrances; adjacent courtyards; garages; and rooftops.

If you, the tenant, or anyone in your apartment is found smoking, a $250 fine will be imposed on everyone living in your apartment for each occurrence. Learn more about Smoke-Free at CUIMC.

New York State Education Law requires notification of fire safety standards and measures in all college-owned or college operated housing. To facilitate compliance the following information is provided.  Please review the Fire Safety Bulletin and Ways to Avoid Falls Fire Alarms.  

Building Evacuation and Emergency Plans  procedures should be reviewed by all students based on the building you are living in:

154 Haven Fire and Emergency Plan

50 Haven Ave Fire and Emergency Plan

390 Fort Washington Fire and Emergency Plan

Georgian Fire and Emergency Plan

Tower 1 Fire and Emergency Plan

Tower 2 Fire and Emergency Plan

Tower 3 Fire and Emergency Plan