A public safety app known as VTSU Safe is struggling with student engagement on the VTSU Castleton campus, according to Keith Molinari, associate director of Public Safety.  

Although it has been available for nearly a year and a half, it has not been widely adopted by students, he said. The app provides users with direct access to emergency hotlines, friendly escorts and other support and emergency resources.  

“I don’t think it’s promoted enough… it just needs to be advertised,” Molinari said in a recent interview.   

He also mentioned a previous app with similar functions known as “Everbridge.”   

According to Molinari, the Everbridge app allowed users to feel safe by selecting an SOS button to record audio and video, which would then be sent directly to the public safety office along with the individual’s location. Molinari referred to this feature as a “blue light.  

“We’re not at a blue light in your pocket yet, but we are at a virtual escort,” he said.   

Molinari said that the current capabilities of the VTSU Safe app enable students to connect with Public Safety officers or local police officials who can aid in a range of situations, from feeling unsafe while walking home at night to experiencing a medical emergency.   

“I think it will be promoted a lot more next semester,” Molinari said.  

This year, Molinari has been working to spread awareness of the resource. Before the fall semester, he held a seminar for dormitory residence assistants, discussing valuable aspects of Public Safety. He dedicated a significant amount of time to the uses of VTSU Safe to ensure that RAs are equipped with the proper safety tools.   

When questioned about the application, the student body has expressed minimal awareness, though some had considerable interest.   

“I think that there are benefits to it; they just aren’t well known,” said Emily Ely, a resident assistant at Babcock Hall.   

Although she hasn’t used the app, Ely mentioned that some of the features discussed in the presentation stood out to her, particularly the ability to share your location with Public Safety officials. 

In a recent poll, only one of 10 students reported downloading the app. Of the non-user students surveyed, three considered downloading it, while the other six had no interest.   

“It’s super user friendly,” said Reilly Marsden, a student at VTSU Castleton who jumped on the app during a class discussion of it. Marsden said that after installing the app, she has explored the interface. She said that she would use it in an emergency rather than relying on other resources.   

Despite outreach efforts by Public Safety, some students who are aware of the app remain hesitant to use it.   

“There isn’t really a need for the app,” said Kalynn Stevenson, a resident assistant at VTSU Castleton. “We can just go through the VTSU portal.”  

As Castleton is making efforts to ensure the safety of students, the effectiveness of the app will rely on student engagement. With its improving promotion, VTSU Safe could become an essential resource for campus safety, Molinari said.