SBU Safe app on iPhone
Photo Courtesy of Lily Peterson
BY: AVERY BRASWELL STAFF WRITER
St. Bonaventure University recently rolled out a new campus safety app, SBU Safe, that officials say is packed with features to help students get help fast, report incidents, and look out for one another — all from the convenience of their phones.
The app includes an emergency contact list with quick-call buttons for campus police, health services, and other important university resources. Instead of having to search online or scroll through old emails in a stressful moment, students can reach help instantly with just one tap.
One of the most talked-about features is the “mobile blue light” — a digital version of the familiar blue emergency poles found around campus. By pressing the button, students can alert campus security to their exact GPS location, no matter where they are, even in areas without physical blue lights.
Students can also use the app to report safety concerns or incidents directly to campus authorities. The feature allows users to upload photos, videos, and details about what happened, and reports can be submitted anonymously. It’s a simple way for students to speak up about issues like suspicious activity or harassment without having to make a phone call.
Another standout feature is the “friend walk” tracking buddy system, which lets students share their live location with a trusted friend while walking across campus or heading home late at night. The friend can follow their route in real time and will be notified once they arrive safely. If something doesn’t seem right, they can quickly contact emergency services through the app.
Sophomore Ava Dimao explained how the “friend walk” feature ensured she and her friends walked home safely from downtown Allegany last Friday night. She specifies how this app gives her “peace of mind” and how she is “extremely grateful to know that [her] and every other student at SBU has access to the Safe app.” “It’s important that we all take advantage of what the school has to offer us,” says Dimao.
In addition to emergency tools, the app also connects students to health and wellness resources — including counseling, sexual assault support, and mental health hotlines — to make sure safety is addressed from all angles, not just in emergencies.
“Personal safety is all about situational awareness,” said Gary Segrue, director of St. Bonaventure Safety and Security. “Know your surroundings and have a personal safety plan wherever you go… [and] now this plan can include our new safety app, SBU Safe.”
The app is free to download on both iPhone and Android, and the university is encouraging all students, faculty, and staff to sign up. Since individuals carry their cellular devices everywhere, Gary Segrue vocalizes that this app will ensure “a proactive sense of control and immediate access to help, [allowing everyone to] feel more secure and prepared about their personal safety.”
With tools for prevention, protection, and peer support, the new campus safety app is designed to make sure students never have to face an unsafe situation alone.
