Emergency telephones, blue lights help promote campus safety

The campus blue light beside the Frog Baby fountain, Nov. 2, Grace Ramey // DN
The campus blue light beside the Frog Baby fountain, Nov. 2, Grace Ramey // DN

To use the phone, press the button and talk into the speaker. For your safety, University Police advices students to learn the locations of the emergency telephones, especially those along the routes you usually take in the evening and after dark, according to bsu.edu.


You can also view a campus map of the emergency phone locations

The blue lights scattered around campus are not there just to illuminate your way, they serve a greater purpose —safety.

The emergency telephones were put in more than 20 years ago to enhance campus safety in a time when students did not carry personal cell phones. Phones are mounted on the poles across campus and marked "emergency" with a blue light on top.

While nearly all students have their own cell phones today, these boxes still have an important job — giving students a direct connection to the University Police Department in emergencies, which enables callers to speak directly with a dispatcher.

The amount of officers dispatched to a scene depends on the information received from the call, UPD Chief James Duckham said.

“The dispatcher would evaluate the information and dispatch the appropriate resources. If the button is pushed and the dispatcher is unable to speak to a caller, an officer is dispatched to investigate,” Duckham said.

Duckham also said that response time of a dispatcher depends on the location of the emergency phone and where the officer is responding.

The boxes have become one of the many safety measures that Ball State employs to ensure not only student safety but also community safety.

“The high visibility of the emergency phones and their locations act as a deterrent to a person who might otherwise engage in criminal behavior," Duckham said. 

There are 23 emergency call boxes located throughout campus. Students are encouraged to use them whenever they feel like they are being followed or see a potential threat to themselves or others.

In addition, students may also use the phones if they are having car trouble or difficulty locating their car in a parking lot, Duckham said.

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