SHU Safe

With just a tap, members of the SHU community can access emergency services, including campus security and local first responders. If a user is not on campus, the call is routed to the 911 dispatch center of the town or city where the user is located. Users also can opt to save and store information on the SHU Safe, such as medical history, which can help first responders and other personnel better assist them during an emergency.  

If SHU Safe is used on campus

If someone experiences or witnesses an emergency, they can open the SHU Safe app, select emergency and choose to contact SHU Public Safety or 911. 

• If SHU Public Safety is contacted, the call goes directly to the SHU Public Safety dispatcher. Campus security can see the location of the caller anywhere on SHU property, whether it is a parking lot, a residence hall, an academic building or an athletic facility, if the user’s phone is connected to the SHU Wi-Fi system. The dispatcher will then send help. 

• If 911 is contacted, their call goes directly to the nearest 911 dispatcher and the SHU Public Safety dispatcher will continue to see the GPS location and dispatch help. 

Sacred Heart University is one of the first universities in the nation to launch a system so advanced that it can pinpoint where an individual is inside a building. Unlike traditional GPS locations that can only identify a building, SHU Public Safety can identify exact locations within buildings through the app, which can drastically reduce response times. 

If SHU Safe is used off campus

If emergency calls are placed to 911 or SHU Public Safety, the call goes directly to the appropriate dispatcher. During an emergency, information from the SHU app will continue to provide the SHU Public Safety dispatcher with relevant information pertaining to emergency response, such as GPS location.

This feature allows users to report suspicious activity or call for help in nonemergency situations. Users can report everything from a suspicious person to vandalism or theft, as well as seek assistance with a flat tire, locked door or other situation. With a report of suspicious activity, Public Safety identifies the location, but the report can be made anonymously, as well.

With this feature, a user can set up a safety check with a person in their contact list. If you are walking home late from class at night or decide to go for a walk or a run after dark, you can alert a friend as to when you expect to be home or at another location. If the safety check is not deactivated by the appointed time, then your contact receives a text, can view your GPS location and can check up on you.

In addition to the previous features, the SHU Safe app provides the SHU community with resources and tools that foster greater campus safety and provide information on potential crises or emergency situations.  

For instance, through the app, all SHU students, faculty, staff and visitors on campus can request a personal safety escort to or from any on-campus location when they feel walking alone is not in their best interest. The service is provided to enhance safety, provide peace of mind and create a greater sense of security on campus from dusk to dawn. 

SHU Safe also provides users with a campus map and information on the Department of Public Safety’s emergency plan. Users also can view and update their profile.