UPennAlert

Large Protest – All Clear

At approximately 5:30pm a scheduled protest began in the area of 17th & Market St. in the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia. Philadelphia Police were on site and stayed with the protest as the demonstrators proceeded to march west on Walnut Street to 40th and Market Streets.

Penn Police were on site monitoring as the march approached our campus and continued to monitor the area with Philadelphia Police until the protest concluded at approximately 8:20pm.

Penn Police documented multiple instances of graffiti along the march route and will be investigating to identify the individuals responsible.

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UPDATE: All clear in the area of 40th and Market Streets. You may resume usual activity in the area. Penn and Philadelphia Police continue to monitor the area.

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Update: Protest continues in the area of 40th and Market St.  The number of protesters continues to drop. Penn and Philadelphia Police continue to monitor the area.

Update: At approximately 5:30pm a scheduled protest began in the area of 17th & Market St. in the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia. The demonstration proceeded west through university city and has arrived at 40th and Market.

UPennAlert: Large protest in the area of 40th and Market St. Philadelphia and Penn Police are present and continue to monitor the surrounding area.

Increased police activity in the area. Police on scene, use caution, avoid the immediate area.

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The Division of Public Safety has developed a few helpful risk reduction strategies outlined below. Know that it is never the fault of the person impacted (victim/survivor) by crime.

  • Stay out of immediate area.
  • Stay alert and reduce distractions; using cellphones, ear buds, etc. may limit your awareness.
  • Orient yourself to your surroundings. (Identify your location, nearby exits, etc.)
  • Utilize 24/7/365 Walking Escort services (215-898-WALK/9255).

The Division of Public Safety will continue to ensure the highest level of safety and security for our community.

Emergencies 215-573-3333 / 511 (campus phone)
General Information 215-898-7297
Special Services 215-898-4481 (215-898-6600 off-hours)
HELP Line 215-898-HELP (4357)
DPS Headquarters 4040 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Walking Escort 215-898-WALK (9255)
Penn Transit Ride 215-898-RIDE (7433)
11/02/2021

MERT’s Annual MCI Drill

Group photo showing all of the participants in the MERT MCI Drill on October 24, 2021.

Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) conducted their 13th annual Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Drill on October 24th, 2021. The drill scenario they practiced was for response to an explosion and chemical leak.  42 MERT members and 44 patient volunteers participated in the drill along with members of the Philadelphia Fire Department and Penn’s Division of Public Safety.

The goal of the MCI is to assess MERT’s emergency preparedness, and allow the MERT crew to practice quickly responding to a large-scale mass casualty incident in an organized manner. This drill helps to train future leaders of MERT in skills necessary for the growth of their organization. These types of exercises promote teamwork, and teach stress management and establishing a chain of command. The annual drill also provides an opportunity for MERT to engage the Penn and Philadelphia communities.

What is MERT?

The University of Pennsylvania Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) is a student-run service organization providing emergency medical services to the University community. The primary purpose of the organization is to complement the emergency medical care provided by the University of Pennsylvania Police Department (UPPD) and the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) by providing professional, timely, and high-quality pre-hospital treatment. The secondary purpose of the organization is to provide training and education to both students and the community.  MERT is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year!

The MERT organization currently has 67 active members, all licensed emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  They are in service from 5pm – 7am on weekdays and 24hr/day on the weekends.  Their response zone is 30th-43rd St. from Market to Baltimore,  providing confidential care for any medical emergency.

Call the PennComm emergency communications center at (215) 573-3333 for MERT.  Calling this number is the fastest way to receive medical care when on campus; with an average response time of under 5 minutes.  When you call this number, both MERT and the Philadelphia Fire Department are dual-dispatched.