Ohio State introduces new safety app

Katie Hamilton
Fri, 21 Sep 2018 21:15:18 +0000
Campus, News, buckeye alerts, emergency alerts, featured, Ohio State emergency alerts, Ohio State Rave Guardian, ohio state safety, Ohio State safety app, Rave Guardian, Rave Guardian app, safety, safety app

The university introduced a new safety app for the campus community on Thursday night via email. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Managing Editor for Design

Ohio State’s department of safety notified students, faculty and staff via email yesterday about the new free safety app, Rave Guardian.

According to the statement, the Rave Guardian app will include faster delivery of Buckeye Alerts and safety notices, as well as the ability for users to share their GPS location with friends or family to ensure they’re safe when they travel on and around campus. Users will be able to set a timer based on their destination that will alert their “virtual guardian” if time runs out before they arrive.

“By providing a free resource that’s at no cost to students, faculty and staff, that can add either a level of comfort or safety and security, that’s what we’re here to do,” Dan Hedman, university spokesman, said. “This is one of many things that we offer and it’s just one tool in the toolbox to enhance safety.”

Hedman said it is important that users don’t think of this app as a replacement of the other safety resources, such as the safe ride program, campus area bus service, blue light phones and self-defense classes.

Shawn Semmler, Undergraduate Student Government vice president, said, “A good way to think of it is having a mobile blue light in your pocket; we have a lot of blue lights stationed around campus but this is always with you.”

USG worked with the department of public safety to pick out the Guardian app that happened to work directly with the already established Buckeye Alert system.