The following message is from Fred Meier, President and CEO at RRC Polytech:

Since the end of last year, we’ve committed to sharing regular Safety Updates with staff and students to keep everyone informed about safety enhancements and existing services on campus.

Safe Ride and Safe Walk are services familiar to most staff and students. For those who aren’t familiar, the Safe Walk and Safe Ride programs at RRC Polytech provide escorts for students and staff between two points on campus or to nearby locations, ensuring safety and security.

Although I was familiar with Safe Ride, I had never used the service. When invited by Safety, Health, and Security Services for a “ride along,” I seized the opportunity to experience it firsthand.

I headed to the Exchange District Campus (EDC) during peak hours – between 8:00 and 10 a.m. – and buckled up in the passenger seat next to Dilawar (Dil) Singh Randhawa, Security Officer, who drives one of the two Safe Ride vans. The second van was added in fall 2024 to support an average of 180 safe rides each day at EDC.

One of my greatest points of pride is the incredible work that supports our campus community daily. It’s always an eye opening experience to see behind the scenes or a day in the life. As I’ve discovered through experiences like this ride along, there are many hidden heroes who make our campuses better places for all.

While I could write more about my experience, I want to keep this message brief, so you can all take a few minutes to watch the Safe Ride Along video, below.

Thank you to the Security Services team for sharing an inside look at the Safe Ride program, letting me tag along to chat with students and staff about their experiences. And I would be remiss to not acknowledge everyone who took the time to chat with me – both on- and off-camera. I recognize people were likely not expecting a camera crew as a part of their morning commute to campus!

As a reminder, if you need a Safe Ride – or Safe Walk – call Security Services at 204-949-8305 (EDC) or 204-632-2323 (NDC). Services are available from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at EDC and 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at NDC, with evening Safe Rides available upon request.