The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is implementing a new mobile phone safety app, LiveSafe, for the campus community.
From reports of broken lights, safety hazards, or suspicious activities to questions about sexual harassment or a troubled peer, the app will allow students, faculty, and staff to communicate a variety of concerns to the university by submitting texts, pictures, videos, and audio files.
The app provides convenient access to campus services and resources including the UT Police Department, the Office of Title IX, the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, and Facilities Services, along with campus bus routes and the location of automated external defibrillators.
“Students have asked for a mobile solution to simplify communication with the university, and this is what the app provides,” said Troy Lane, associate vice chancellor for public safety and chief of police.
LiveSafe was founded six years ago by Kristina Anderson, a critically injured survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, as a way of adding “do something” to the adage “see something, say something.”
UT LiveSafe users can reach 911 or UT Police with the touch of a button. The emergency functions of the app can also be used off campus and will route calls to local law enforcement wherever users are—even if they are traveling overseas.
The app’s SafeWalk feature allows users to share a walking or driving route and estimated arrival time with chosen contacts. Contacts are notified if the user fails to arrive on time and can trace the route on a map.
A geolocation feature lets the university target specific locations with messaging—for example, a game-day reminder of prohibited items in Neyland Stadium.
A version of the app for campus visitors provides them with a way to report incidents and access information on special events such as concerts and commencement.
The university’s former safety app, Rave Guardian, will be phased out for individual users over the coming weeks. UT will continue to use Rave for its UT Alert emergency messaging notifications to the campus community.
For more information, see the UT Police Department’s public safety website.
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CONTACT:
Lola Alapo (865-974-1094, lalapo@utk.edu)