By Jacqueline Arroyo / The Jambar
Youngstown State University launched a new safety app, PENGUINsafe, to help enhance security for students, staff and faculty.
The app, introduced March 17, was developed in collaboration with YSU’s police department, IT services and the office of marketing and communications. It functions similarly to the university’s Penguin Alert System, but provides users with essential safety tools at their fingertips.
In a press release, YSU Police Chief Shawn Varso shared his thoughts on the app and its benefits to the campus community.
“This app reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing campus safety and provides students, faculty and staff with the tools they need to feel secure while on campus or walking between locations,” Varso stated.
The app’s features include a mobile blue light button, virtual walk-home service, tip reporting and safety notifications — all of which serve specific functions that individuals may need in an emergency.
Rebecca Rose, director of marketing and communications at YSU, oversees the implementation of internal and external communications across the university. Discussing the app’s features, she described it as a combination of tools designed to support campus safety.
“It gives us a mobile blue light, so those are stationary, so this gives students, faculty and staff basically the ability to have that blue light with them wherever,” Rose said. “It was a really nice kind of compilation of [safety features] … everybody will have a direct line right to the police in case of emergency.”
In addition to the mobile blue light button, Rose said the virtual walk-home feature allows the police to monitor a student’s route to ensure they arrive safely. If a student needs to use the resource, they should simply tap the virtual walk-home button in the app and notify police upon reaching their destination.
The app is designed to provide peace of mind, giving users access to safety resources when they feel unsafe on or around campus.
Although the app is still new, PENGUINsafe has received positive feedback since its launch.
“We had over 300 downloads within the first two days of putting it out, and those are people who not only downloaded the app but also logged in and registered to use it,” Rose said.
Looking ahead, the university plans to expand marketing efforts of PENGUINsafe by distributing handouts at orientations, promoting the app on social media and using giveaways to encourage downloads.
PENGUINsafe is free to download on both the Google Play and Apple App Stores.