BOONE—A new mobile phone safety app is being implemented at Appalachian State University to enhance student, faculty and staff safety on campus.

The RAVE mobility safety application is available as a free download at http://www.ravemobilesafety.com. It can be used to report safety concerns anonymously via a text service and its “Guardian” safety timer notifies a user’s network of friends, parents or University Police if the timer expires within a certain timeframe.

“This is just another tool members of the university community can use regarding their personal safety, in addition to the campus blue light system or calling 911 or 262-8000,” said Jason Marshburn, director of Emergency Management, Environmental Health and Safety.

The application features include:

• RAVE Eye Witness: An anonymous, two-way tip texting service. This should not be used to report medical or other emergencies, but it is a method to safety concerns and suspicious activity to University Police. To text University Police, text appstatetip followed by your message to 67283. (http://www.ravemobilesafety.com/raveeyewitness)
• RAVE Guardian: During a timer session, designated guardians and University Police can check the status of a student. If the safety Timer function is not deactivated before it expires, University Police is automatically provided with the user’s Rave Guardian profile to proactively identify and check in on the individual. The app can be downloaded at http://www.ravemobilesafety.com/rave-guardian.

Marshburn and Gunther Doerr, Appalachian’s director of public safety and risk management, remind the campus community to always call 911 or 262-8000 first in a medical or life safety emergency as it is the fastest, most reliable means of getting emergency assistance.

Individuals choosing to use the app’s Guardian feature should remember it’s not applicable for off-campus use.

When using the RAVE Guardian feature, University Police can only see the user’s profile when the safety app timer alarms or when the user calls for emergency help. No user information is visible otherwise.

The 911 feature in the safety app will always call the nearest 911 center, regardless of the user’s location. Users are encouraged to include as much information as they are comfortable providing in their profile, which is completed within the safety app. The more information available, the better the assistance that can be provided in the event of an emergency.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.