Rarely used, blue lights still lend security to UND campus
Grand Forks ND December 25 2018
While blue lights are rarely used on campus, UND leaders say just having them available lend to student safety.
Blue emergency light stands with telephones are located strategically throughout the UND campus and are an option for people to use in a crisis situation, UND Police Lt. Danny Weigel said.
When activated, the blue light phone will connect a person with 911 dispatchers, who can send out help to the person at that location. There are more than 15 blue light phones on campus.
“Most of the time it’s a false alarm where they accidentally hit the wrong button or something along those lines, but it’s just another option that people have while they’re on campus if they needed to make an emergency call,” Weigel said.
Weigel said the UND Police Department had nine calls for service through the blue lights in 2018. In 2017, they were used five times. Those numbers have stayed fairly consistent over the years, Weigel said.
Last year, the department began having discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of having the blue lights on campus.
In addition to being rarely used, Weigel said there may be cases when people use the stands when it is not an emergency situation, such as being lost. Another disadvantage of the stands are the maintenance costs associated. Additionally, most people on campus have cellphones, Weigel said.
However, Weigel noted that the flashing blue lights on the top of the stands may alert others to come help in an emergency situation. The phones are also connected to landlines, which means they aren’t affected when cell phone lines get bogged down, Weigel said.
“Parents and students may also see them as providing a sense of security and safety on campus,” he added.
Erik Hanson, student body president, said the university is shifting its focus away from the physical blue lights on campus and more toward apps and resources available to students on their cellphones.
The university created an mobile app called SafeCampus about two years ago, which provides students with various resources on their phones, including easy access to contact police, request a safety escort or even get vehicle assistance from the UND Police Department.
Many of the app’s features also work outside of campus, Hanson said.
The app also allows students send their real-time location to a friend through text message. The person can then bring up a map that allows them to watch the friend to walk to their intended destination. If needed, the friend can also trigger a call to emergency services if necessary, according to the app.
The app is available for free through Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Despite the push toward students to use the app, Hanson said the physical stands aren’t going anywhere.
“You can only put up so many physical blue lights, but almost everybody in today’s day and age has a cellphone,” Hanson said.
While the blue light towers are not used often, Hanson said he believes their presence alone on campus helps students feel a little safer on campus
“I’m very glad that (the blue lights) don’t get used often,” Hanson said.
Grand Forks Herald
