A year after a suspected armed man sent campus into a frightening lockdown during the first day of classes, ETSU has unveiled a new app designed to give students all the information they need in any emergency situation.
ETSU Safe, which is free to download in the iTunes and Google Play stores, includes contact information for emergency services, a built-in panic button, tip reporting and a safety toolbox, which aims to “enhance your safety with the set of tools provided in one convenient app.”
After going through last year’s lockdown, resident advisor Michaela Brewer, a second-year student at ETSU, sees a big need for the app and plans to keep it installed on her phone.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t exactly surprised that [a lockdown] was happening on a public campus,” Brewer said. “I think [the app] is very important, especially because I know there’s a lot of people who have never been through an actual lockdown.”
The apps “active shooter” plan includes phone numbers for the ETSU department of safety and quick call buttons for them and 911. It also includes a list of what to include when calling to report an active shooter or armed person and links to training provided by the university. There are also instructions for what someone should do in an active shooter situation whether you’re on or off campus.
“It’s great that the app tells you what to do,” Brewer added.
Also included are plans for bomb threats, fire, tornadoes, earthquakes and severe weather, with specific instructions for students for each. ETSU Safe also includes links to resources for nearly any student concern, including resources for sexual assault victims.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2018 Crime on Campus report, which was released back in May, found that overall crime on campuses has decreased by more than 15% since 2017, with reported non-consensual sex offenses dropping 18%. In 2018, there were 23 assaults, four forcible sex offenses, two reported rapes and 70 cases of theft on campus – an overall decline from 2017.
In July, an ETSU student was indicted on charges of aggravated rape, stemming from an alleged assault in January.
The app’s sexual assault resources include ways to schedule an appointment with ETSU Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Title IX information as well as contact information for ETSU’s Title IX coordinator.
For more information on ETSU safety, visit https://etsu.edu/safety/, or search “ETSU Safe” on the iTunes or Google Play store to download the app.
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