ETSU’s campus provides students with emergency phones to protect them and get help fast when needed.
Safety phones are placed throughout the ETSU and VA campuses to ensure the safety of those on campus. These phones can be found attached to the 9-foot red beacon poles all across campus and attached to the walls of buildings and signs. The phones are labeled emergency and have a distinct button to call for help.
When a button is pressed, an ETSU safety dispatcher will immediately be alerted and know the location. This will send officers straight to the location of the call. Lieutenant Damon Wilson said these phones are designed to help officers know the exact location of the emergency, even if they are being followed.
“They can just keep pushing the buttons as they’re walking or running that alerts dispatch and my officers to track them across campus to kind of see where they’re going so they can meet up with them,” said Wilson.
Wilson said that sometimes these buttons are pushed on accident, but regardless of the situation, officers always respond. There are also cameras located near most of the phones so officers can view the location of the call and see what kind of emergency is taking place.
“We want to have as much information as we can to give to the officer before they arrive on scene so they kind of know what’s going on,” said Wilson.
While the phones are not used often they are tested almost daily to ensure they will work in case of emergency. Director of Operations Mason Bowen said there are 169 emergency phones on campus and someone tests a portion of these phones every day.
“We have an individual who works for Public Safety, and we don’t test every one daily, but he will do an area sequence,” Bowen said.
These tests ensure that the phones are working and connecting the caller to dispatch. The officer testing the phone will make sure the call has a clear connection between the caller and dispatch. The speed of the call connecting to dispatch and officers is also tested.
These on campus are generally not used very often, but can still provide students with peace of mind. Bowen said ETSU is looking to update the phone system and get better technology for students. The phones have not been used yet this year, as the app is a better outlet for students and is used more often.
Students will likely always have their phones on them and can easily access ETSU safety through the ETSU app.
“When you go on the app and hit the emergency call we are able to track you live no matter where you’re going. You don’t have to be on the phone. We can essentially use this to get to you before you could even pick up the phone to call 911,” Bowen said.
Bowen said bigger things are coming for safety technology on campus and hopes to start updating technology on campus soon.
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