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Housing removes emergency cords in light of new UPD app

UPD's new app, Guardian. (EN Photo / Allie Taylor)
UPD’s new app, Guardian will replace emergency cords in North Lake Village dorms. (EN Photo / Allie Taylor)

During orientation, incoming students are told all about the safety policies at Florida Gulf Coast University. To parents’ delight, everyone is told all about the blue emergency poles that are located all over campus, the call doctor buttons all over North Lake Village, the emergency pull cords in North Lake Village, and more.
This fall, the emergency pull cords are being removed from the apartments in North Lake Village. When these cords were pulled, a call was sent to the University Police Department. Now, the cords are being cut and the electrical wire capped, only to be covered with a flat , safe plate. Many people are wondering why. Wouldn’t this make one of the safest campuses in Florida less safe?
That is not the case at all.
Yes, these cords are being removed, but this emergency pull-cord system is antiquated and has more accidental calls than anything else. Due to the location of the pull cord, which is about an arms length away from the North Lake beds, these cords are being pulled accidentally quite often. FGCU is actually the only school in Florida with these emergency pull cords, seeing that they are more common in retirement homes than university campuses.
This antiquated system is not something the community expects a university to have.
The removal of these cords will not make campus less safe, said Brian Fisher, director of housing and Residence Life.
Being one of the safest campuses in Florida, FGCU does have a reputation to uphold. Luckily for students, the removal of the emergency pull cords has led to an even safer alternative. This past spring, the Guardian Eagle app was launched. This app is available to all students, faculty and staff.
The one thing that everyone usually has with them is their smart phone. When someone downloads this app, they have constant access to safety. This app allows students to call UPD and/or 911 with the touch of one button. Along with that feature, you can allow the app to use your location and set a timer that calls UPD if you do not reach a set destination before the timer ends. This is a great opportunity, especially for those late walks from campus back to your room after night classes.
The Guardian Eagle app is free in the app store and only takes a few minutes to set up. The app will take your phone number, email and university ID, and then youre set. You can then receive all of the directions for this easy-to-use app .
Unlike the antiquated North Lake emergency pull cords, this app is available to everyone and can be accessed at all times. Having this app on your phone will do nothing but help protect you.
Guardian Eagle gives Eagles one more reason to feel safe in the nest.

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