Jaclyn Figg
Staff Writer
Emergency “Blue Light” telephones have been a part of the public safety program at ISU for over a decade in an effort to ensure a safer campus for students.
“We have had quite a few people utilize the poles, but that’s because it can be used as a campus phone as well,” said Vince Likes, security supervisor. “You can activate the touch pad and call public safety. If you hit the big red button though that is an automatic ring through 911.”
There has not been a specific incident that caused ISU to insert the poles.
“It was a matter of wanting to be prepared and have the poles in various points in campus,” Likes said. “We just wanted to have the service out there so if there was a problem, people would have the resource to activate the poles and get in contact with us.”
Although pole maintenance for the poles is not often required, there is currently a pole out of service on both the Pocatello and Idaho Falls campus.
In Idaho Falls, the broken pole is at University Place. On the Pocatello campus, pole number five is out of order, located on Red Hill road by Nichols Hall.
“Every Thursday we get pole check sheets from the facilities; the officers are assigned to go out and get those completed,” Likes said.
These weekly tests, typically on Thursdays, ensure the poles are working properly.
A work order to fix the broken poles took place approximately six weeks ago. The parts to fix the poles are on backorder, delaying the repairs.
“Unfortunately we are limited on what we can do. We do the tests but then we just send it to facilities whenever there is maintenance,” Likes said. “It depends on what the issue is, whether it needs to go to IT or facilities. Then it depends on if they need to get parts or if it is a quick fix.”
Repairs can range from something as simple as a light being burnt out, to electronic or mechanical issues. A rebuild kit is necessary for the maintenance of the poles currently out of order.
The light poles have a cover over them if there are maintenance problems so that students and faculty are aware of the issue and can use their phone if they need security in that area.
“If everyone would just download the Rave Guardian app, it is a virtual blue light,” said Lewis Eakins, director of campus security. “When you press the panic button it brings up a GPS feature that shows public safety where you are at.”
The Rave Guardian application, recently released in April 2015, is a safety app easily downloaded via the iOS App Store or Android Play Store for free.
It includes features such as a safety timer that will alert a student’s chosen guardians if they do not reach their destination on time. Also, tips can be reported anonymously to Public Safety regarding suspicious activities on campus.
“It’s really a cool little app, an extra safety feature for our students to use so they can get around campus, do what they need and feel safe here,” said Jamie Lloyd, university control and access systems manager.
The University of Colorado in Boulder decided to remove the “Blue Light” poles on their campus due to a similar guardian app called Lifeline Response.
Although the guardian application could be means to discontinue the emergency poles, ISU has opted to keep them running.
“Many schools are doing away with the blue lights because of the maintenance issue and because so many students have cell phones,” Eakins said. “We have no plans to get rid of our blue lights because we recognize that some students don’t have cell phones.”
If the red emergency button is activated on one of the blue poles, a Public Safety officer is immediately dispatched.
“Most of our officer response on this campus is one to two minutes because we are roaming and already on campus,” Likes said.
There have been cases of students caught misusing the poles, mostly juvenile’s walking by. In these circumstances, an information report is filed and the person is notified if it happens again they will be banned from campus.
