Colleges

Approximately 21 million students attend colleges in the United States. The transition to college is an exciting and busy time. Students are occupied studying for loads of coursework, participating in various other activates like joining clubs and attending sporting events. This is all done while learning how to live on their own, to become productive adult members of society. Students and faculty rely on the school to ensure their safety, so they can focus on learning and teaching.

“Almost one in every four college women in America has been victimized by an attempted or completed rape during their time in college.”

While the media highlights every mass shooting, other, more frequent offenses get relatively little attention. Almost one in every four college women in America has been victimized by an attempted or completed rape during their time in college. With 4,981 cases of aggregated assault and 3,284 forcible sexual offenses on college campuses over the previous term, schools need always seek better ways to protect their students. The response by most schools has been to install numerous Blue Light Phones. Calls to increase safety are resulting in schools just installing more of these phones. While seeing several blue lights at night on campus tours might give prospective students and their parents the impression of security, they are an outdated and inefficient means of emergency communication. The protection of our educational institutions demanded an effective alternative. This inspired us to create MyFlare Alert, a Modern Safety Solution.

Modernize outdated blue light phones

Blue Light Phone

Not located in buildings
Fails to account for movement
Limited by physical location of phone
Rarely used for emergencies

Allows students and other members of the campus community to signal for help from anywhere
Every three minutes, automatically and continuously sends up to 5 MyFlare Distress Messages via SMS text and up to 5 Emails to the user’s pre-selected Contacts, which include the user’s current GPS location, alerting them that the user is in trouble.
Simultaneously sends optional 20-second audio-video recordings, capturing the user’s present environment, which are attached to the delivered Emails (How often is determined by the user)
Instantly blasts an optional police siren continuously, except when the phone is in use

MyFlare Alert provides responders with more complete information about emergency situations, allowing them to respond efficiently and effectively.

Emergency Profile Summary

MyFlare Alert sends the user’s profile information with each distress message. Profile information provides responders with a physical description of the user, including a photo, making it faster and easier to identify them in a crowd. Information about the user’s allergies, pre-existing conditions, and medications could be critical in emergencies where urgent medical assistance is required.
MyFlaire-911-Sunburst

Incident Reporting Allows for Easier and Better Compliance with the Clery Act:

In addition to providing a digital distress flare when a user is in imminent danger, MyFlare Alert allows students and faculty to report incidents they witness that could prove threatening to others. Presently, to report an incident, students must call or go to the campus safety office. This takes time; assuming students have the correct number to call, or where the office is located. If they are on the way to class, probably already late, this is unrealistic. With MyFlare Alert, incidents can be reported with a picture, a text, or a call, with ease. Providing responders with more complete information about the situation, results in a more efficient response.

MyFlare Alert is superior to all other reporting methods. There is no reason to speak with an operator, and reports can be dealt with in order of priority. A visual image provides responders a picture of, the environment, victims and/or assailants. Images can also be useful as evidence in investigations and prosecutions. Reporting incidents using MyFlare Alert takes into account that young people today would rather text than call. Plus, they might not have time to make a call, or may be too shy to do so. Text can also be useful if the witness is unable to speak without being overheard. With MyFlare Alert, more incidents are inevitably reported, allowing campus safety to respond. Most importantly, campus safety will be better able to quickly warn students and faculty of dangerous situations.

MyFlare Alert™ Modernizing Student Safety

Don’t Leave Your Students Behind

1 Hussar, William. United States. U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Projections of Education Statistics to 2021. National Center for Education Statistics, 2013.

2 Fisher BS, Cullen FT, Turner MG. The Sexual Victimization of College Women. Washington, DC: Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice; 2000. Plublicaiton No.: NCJ182369.