News Release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/2016/08/25/unc-chapel-hill-launches-new-livesafe-mobile-safety-app-carolina-community/
For immediate use
(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Aug. 25, 2016) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today launched its newest safety resource, the LiveSafe app, which turns smart phones into safety devices and provides discreet two-way communications with UNC public safety officials. LiveSafe is available to those who live and work on or near Carolina’s campus, as well as their families and friends.
The app allows users to call or message 911 quickly; report suspicious activity anonymously, through text, photo or video messaging; and submit details of their location via the GPS-based SafeWalk feature. Location information can also be shared with family members and friends, even while on the move.
UNC-Chapel Hill is currently working with LiveSafe to link the app to its Alert Carolina emergency notification system. Once complete, this will allow those who download the app to receive all Alert Carolina messages, helping further amplify these messages beyond the campus community. Users will also be able to access important University health and safety resources with one touch.
“The new LiveSafe app provides an effective way to connect people with the help and resources they need, said Derek Kemp, associate vice chancellor for campus safety and risk management. “LiveSafe, which has a proven track record among many of our peer universities, gives people the flexibility to get help quickly, to let others know where they are at any time, and to have ready access to important health and safety information.”
The LiveSafe app is available to students, faculty, staff and their families, as well as local community members and visitors to campus. It replaces Carolina’s RaveGuardian app, which offered fewer features and had a low usage rate.
The University adopted LiveSafe based on recommendations from the Nighttime Travel Working Group, which was commissioned by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Matt Fajack to assess overall nighttime campus travel safety. Students serving on the working group were familiar with LiveSafe’s capabilities and advocated for the technology, including Carolina alumna and current Chancellor’s Fellow Rachel Gogal.
Kemp, who led the working group, said the app is part of a comprehensive CarolinaSafe program that provides multiple campus safety resources, including newly installed cameras in heavy traffic corridors, classroom training in how to respond during an emergency situation and an increased UNC public safety presence downtown.
LiveSafe is available on both iPhone and Android devices. After downloading the app, users should select the UNC-Chapel Hill affiliation and fill in the user profile. For more information about LiveSafe and other safety resources at UNC-Chapel Hill go to CarolinaSafe.
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About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 113 master’s, 68 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty – including two Nobel laureates – staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 308,000 alumni live in all 50 states and 150 countries. More than 167,000 live in North Carolina.
UNC-Chapel Hill Finance & Administration contact: Communications Director, Allison Reid, (919) 962-6288,allison_reid@unc.edu
UNC-Chapel Hill Communications and Public Affairs contact: MC VanGraafeiland, (919) 962-7090,mc.vangraafeiland@unc.edu
UNC Media Relations, Whitehead Building 101 McCauley St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514 United States