If
in Danger, Look for the Blue Lights
The new blue-light calling
units, powered by the sun, are placed prominently around
campus. |
With the addition of 26
new emergency, “blue-light” calling
units around campus, there are now nearly twice as many locations
from which to quickly notify public safety personnel
when needed.
The new calling units, which consist of two-way, push-button
radios topped with bright blue lights, have been installed
at various conspicuous locations around campus, including
near Chapin Lawn and the athletic fields.
Ten additional units will be installed throughout the fall,
according to Scott Graham, associate director of Public Safety.
The new emergency calling units
are added to more than 30 blue-light
telephones already on campus, said Graham, which were
installed about 15 years ago and will remain.
The new units are self-contained devices, which require
no wiring for power or telephone transmission. The units
consist of two-way radios, and are simple to operate with
the push of a button. They are powered by the use of solar
panels, which fuel rechargeable batteries on each unit.
By contrast, the older emergency
phones are conventional telephones with land
lines and electrical power lines running underground.
More than 30 older
blue-light telephones will remain. |
When activated, the blue
lights on the new emergency radios automatically begin to
flash, adding visibility to the area.
“It was our intent with these new units to have emergency
phones that are easy to spot, and easy to use,” said
Graham.
The campus blue-light phones should only be used in case
of an emergency, Graham emphasizes, not for routine calls
to Public Safety.
But thanks to the new installations, there are now twice
as many locations on campus from which to notify officers
in the event that someone feels threatened, followed, or
in danger. |
