Health & Safety Award

Recognizes initiatives and programs that foster a safe and healthy work environment.

Red River College is Manitoba's largest institute of Applied Learning. The College has an annual enrolment of approximately 32,000 full and part-time students, and encompasses eight campuses throughout the province. Red River College is renowned for providing accessible, innovative, applied learning and research in an advanced environment, creating skilled graduates to drive the Manitoba economy. RRC currently boasts a 97% graduate employment rate.

To help ensure and enhance the safety of students, staff and visitors, Red River College has developed an Integrated Campus Emergency Alerting System. The 3-part system includes public address speakers and phones, text alert to cellphones and desktop alerting to computers. It was designed to provide timely and effective warnings to allow people to take appropriate actions that save lives in the event of an imminent threat to life safety. 

MTS Allstream and the US software company Alertus worked collaboratively to design the system that is custom to Red River College. They were able to achieve their own specific desired results at a fraction of the cost of off-the-shelf commercial systems. Subsequent testing of the system has shown a success rate of over 90%.

Comprehensive information on the system is posted on the web, printed in brochures and included in all new employee and student orientations, along with directions of protective actions expected from building occupants. As a result, the system has received exceptionally positive feedback from the Health & Safety department, staff have become much more engaged in the program since its inception and in turn are promoting the program to the student population. Regular testing, drills and ongoing promotion have expanded awareness and made it an integral part of the public safety system at Red River College.