Fellow students,
Today marks the launch of a new mobile safety application provided by Student Government as a complement to the already existing safety and security effort taking place on campus. TapShield is a unique service that pairs state-of-the-art technology with campus safety to provide students with the ability to summon help from anywhere on campus at anytime, and allows emergency services to respond more efficiently.
Once the app is downloaded, users can alert campus dispatch and initiate a two-way communication via a direct phone call or silent messaging during an emergency. With one tap, emergency responders are provided with real-time GPS data and unique profile information including a picture, personal characteristics and medical details that will aid responding authorities as they address the emergency situation.
Among the other applications that were considered, TapShield stands above the rest. TapShield is the only application that features one-touch emergency alert, two-way messaging between users and dispatch, a timer option designed to provide security while walking home or going for a run, and yank technology, which signals an emergency by yanking headphones from the device.
Student Government sincerely hopes that students will not find themselves in a situation that requires emergency response. Nonetheless, we are aware that dangers exist and are confident that TapShield will aid responders, reduce response time and increase student safety on campus.
Students can download the application by searching “TapShield” on the Google Play and App Store or by visiting TapShield.com from a smartphone and clicking on “View” in the top header.
A version of this letter to the editor ran on page 6 on 1/22/2014 under the headline "Blue light app available now"
