When the Dartmouth community gathers to enjoy Homecoming weekend, Safety and Security and Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services will work with the Hanover Police, the Hanover Fire Department and Green Mountain Security to ensure the safety of students and visitors, according to Director of Safety and Security and College Proctor Harry Kinne.
Homecoming weekend brings more people to campus, so increased police presence is to be expected, Kinne said.
Last year's Homecoming was "an average year," with around 10 arrests, most of which were alcohol-related, he said.
Additionally, two students were arrested last year for attempting to touch the bonfire, while a third received a warning.
Safety and Security will have five officers on patrol, with additional officers on foot, Kinne said. During the evenings, "extra people [will] stay on the Green," with at least two additional patrols working at night, he said.
Friday night will be the busiest point of the weekend, and officers will likely work until 6 a.m., Kinne said.
"No major safety changes have been made for this year," Kinne said. "The only change from last year was the creation of a new walkway for students to exit the bonfire," he said.
Dartmouth EMS staff will also be on-call throughout the weekend responding to dispatch calls from Safety and Security as well as supporting inpatient services at Dick's House, Dartmouth EMS president Tucker Ward '12 said.
"We work with nurses at Dick's House, the College health services and the Hanover Fire Department if necessary," Ward said.
EMS will also staff a stand-by coverage stand during the bonfire Friday night and respond to emergencies with additional staff, Ward said.
EMS will operate on its regular 12-hour shifts, with approximately three crew members working each shift, according to Ward.
"We have to be ready for everything," Ward said. "We do not train [technicians] specifically for Homecoming, but our training is intense. We do everything we can to provide the best care possible at all times."
Green Team, a student-run intervention program to prevent students from alcohol harm, will also be available over the big weekend, according to Green Team leader Charlotte Cipparone '12.
"We know that there are lots of alumni and we're hoping to have a lot of parties to work," Cipparone said. "Heightened safety is a very good idea."
Green Team has worked at events hosted be all Greek houses on campus since its creation last Winter, according to Cipparone. The group covers both registered and unregistered parties, Cipparone said.
"It's important to have peers looking out for peers," she said. "We hoping to increase awareness so if they go out by themselves, they're still looking out for each other, even if on they're on their own."
The lack of an identifiable uniform makes Green Team members more accesible to students, Cipparone said.
"People are more receptive when they see their friends approach," she said.
Over 300 Green Team students participate in the program, all of whom are sophomores or older, Cipparone said.
"We want people who are engrained in the social scene and who don't feel uncomfortable in houses, and who houses feel comfortable working with," Cipparone said. "It's important for people to be acclimated before they start working with us."
Cipparone said that the team expects a large number of parties but is not making special preparations for the weekend.
