Emergency phones on campuses are provided to help keep students safe and allow the quick reporting of any kind of Emergency. The key is to know where they are located and then to use them when needed.
On the University of Montana campus, there are 17 emergency telephones. Pressing the call button on any of the emergency phones puts you in immediate contact with the Office of Public Safety and indicates your exact location. These phones glow green at night and the campus police encourage their use for any emergency.
Sure, many people carry cell phones, but knowing where the emergency phones are located is still important. If you don’t have a cell phone on you, these are available. And even if you do have a cell, the one button connection and the indication of your exact location can make the response time to your emergency faster.
At the University of Montana website, you can download a PDF map of the campus with all of the emergency phone locations. Looking at this map, and even downloading and printing it out, are not enough. I want you to take a map and walk around campus and find each emergency phone. Go see them and acknowledge each of their locations. Sure this will take a little time, but if you do it when it is nice out, you can have a nice walk around campus and get some exercise at the same time. Also find out from the Office of Public Safety if the phones are on 365 days a year, or if they are off when school is out. Believe me, a little time spent doing this is more than worth it if you ever need to make an emergency call. Spending a little time to make your time on campus safer is a wise investment.
Because I work security for the Special Event Team with the Office of Public Safety at the University of Montana, I am familiar with this University’s emergency phone system and campus map. One of the things you need to do when you arrive at your college of choice is to research the resources on campus to help keep you safe. Find out if the campus has emergency phones, and if they do, find out where they are all located. If they don’t maybe suggest to the campus office of public safety that they should put some in and point to other schools that have them as examples.
When you are scared and need help is not the time to start thinking about where an emergency phone is located. Learn that before hand so you will know where to go if something happens. And then remember to use them when needed. People forget these things when scared.
I sincerely hope you never have to use one, but I want you to know where they are just in case. Be prepared, have a plan, and you can better keep yourself safe.