08/22/16
By Randy Gonzales
University Relations and Marketing
HAYS, Kan. -- Be safe. Use LiveSafe.

LiveSafe, a mobile communications safety application, is now available for the Fort Hays State University community. The app can be downloaded to a mobile device from the App Store or Google Play. Once the user registers, fills out a profile and chooses FHSU, the app -- which is free -- is ready to use.

Dr. Joey Linn, vice president for student affairs at FHSU, said adding a mobile safety application option was "a student-driven initiative." Student Government Association reviewed mobile safety apps for about 18 months.

"This is the one, after reviewing, that students liked," Linn said.

Users can select several options from the app. For example, a person can request emergency assistance through quick, easy access to emergency phone numbers. The options include calling 911, the University Police Dept. or the City of Hays non-emergency police department number.

"I think LiveSafe is a great safety app, but it's way more than a safety app," said SGA campus relations director Brett Chrisler, Hays senior. "I think it will be beneficial for incoming freshmen; it will be beneficial for any student."

There is also a safety map on the app, which tells people of their location in relation to campus buildings. A person can also submit tips -- even anonymously -- related to safety concerns, such as a street light out on campus. A photo, video or audio file can be attached when reporting a tip.

The GoSafe feature helps ensure safe arrival at one's destination through a virtual walk. People can either ask friends to watch them virtually as they walk home, or they can watch their friends virtually as they reach their destination, all depending on which selection the user chooses in the app. The GoSafe feature also provides phone numbers to call Safe Ride or local taxi services.

"I like the GoSafe part of the app," Chrisler said. "You can connect with your friend and virtually walk you home."

There are navigation buttons at the bottom of the home screen that allow for quick, easy access to the function a person wishes to use.

"It's so robust, so many cool things," Linn said.

LiveSafe is available for FHSU students, faculty and staff, as well as anybody else who wishes to use it, from a Hays resident to a student's grandmother in another city. FHSU is the second Kansas Board of Regents institution to adopt LiveSafe. FHSU users can switch their settings if they are in Manhattan to receive LiveSafe information for Kansas State University, the other Regents institution using the app.