St. Mary’s College of Maryland is launching a new safety app for the College community titled 911Shield with a technology that can accurately locate individuals who are in distress.
“Although the College is a safe place, we are always looking for ways to further enhance our suite of safety services. We’re excited about launching the 911Shield app because it provides our campus community with greater access to safety resources,” said Tressa Setlak, director of public safety.
The primary function of 911Shield is to serve as an emergency communication tool between the College community and campus police. The 911Shield app offers four major features: emergency calling, iReport, Friend Watch, and campus information.
The emergency call feature allows users to access emergency services at the push of a button. Instead of relying solely on emergency poles, which are fixed into place, the campus community now has the ability to signal for emergency assistance 24/7, from anywhere on and off campus, with just a push of their cell phone. The user will be immediately connected with campus police if on campus. Campus police are also automatically provided the users location and any profile information, such as a photo and any medical history that the app user chooses to share. If the user is not on campus, the app can still be used, and the caller is routed to the closest 911 call center.
The iReport feature, which may be used anonymously, allows users to send text messages along with photos and videos directly to the St. Mary’s College Office of Public Safety for non-emergency situations.
The Friend Watch feature is a peer-to-peer safety service which allows app users who want additional safety to assign a group of friends to look after them during certain activities, such as while jogging alone or walking to and from class.
The 911Shield app will go live on Wednesday, March 29 to coincide with the College’s Safety Day presented by the Office of Public Safety.
The application is available for free on both Android and iPhone devices.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,700 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.
About 911Cellular
911Cellular is the technological leader of smartphone-enabled public safety communications tools serving universities, schools, hospitals, municipalities and other large institutions. Founded and led by active law enforcement professionals, the company leverages advanced technologies and law-enforcement and safety data to develop solutions that save lives and reduce enterprise costs.