Article written by DPS Communication Assistant Ruth Brisson, Newhouse ’29
In a few clicks, a whole new world of safety.
The Orange Safe app is the go-to center for all things safety at Syracuse University. You have access to all sorts of features like mobile BlueLight, Safe Walk, Safety Shuttles and more. This app can be a little overwhelming when you’re unsure how to navigate it, so let’s take it step by step.
One of the most used features on the Orange Safe App is the Safety Escort Shuttles. These shuttles operate from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night. Any student can request a shuttle as long as they are coming or going to a University address.. This allows students to not walk alone at night and feel safe and secure getting from place to place. To find this feature in the app, go to the “Getting Around SU” icon, then select “Safety Escort Shuttle.” Once this is opened you can request your shuttle just by typing your NetID, SUID, your current location, and requested location. Keep in mind, certain days of the week are a bit busier, so you may have a longer wait on nights like Thursday through Sunday.
Another important feature is the On Campus BlueLight. When walking around campus, you’ve likely seen our BlueLight stations scattered all over campus. When activated, it will send your direct location to dispatchers so they can send officers to you as quickly as possible. If you’re not near a BlueLight, you can trigger this on your phone instead. The difference between BlueLights and directly calling DPS is that you’re not required to speak or communicate, it does the job for you. However if you can communicate it’s available for you to call or text. The icon is right on the main homescreen of the app in the upper left corner.
Our next feature is Social Escape. This feature gives you the opportunity to leave a social situation where you may feel awkward or unsafe without questions. You go into the app and find the social escape icon on the homescreen, then type in your phone number and select a time to receive a phone call. Once you receive that phone call, you can step away for a moment, and take that opportunity to just leave the situation entirely and take that phone call. Want to see a demo, check out this reel on our Instagram.
Now, one of the fundamental features of the Orange Safe App is the Emergency Contacts at the top of the main homescreen. If you are in an emergency, click this icon and you’ll be directed to select one of three options. The first is to Call 911, it’s best to call 911 if you are in a situation off campus and need the city police department. The second option is to Call DPS, this option is for any situation here on campus. If you call 911 when on campus, you’ll be transferred to DPS dispatch and vice versa. And the third option is to Chat with DPS, this is when you’re in a situation where you’re unable to speak and need immediate help so you can text with dispatchers instead.
The last feature we’ll go over is Report a Tip. Ever hear the phrase, “If you see something, say something?” Whenever you see something on campus that you feel could be dangerous or criminal in activity, go into the app and select the “Report a Tip” icon, then let our DPS officers know what’s going on. It can be hard to decide what is or isn’t something worth reporting, but trust your instincts and simply report it. You could be the person to stop a crime.
There’s so much to navigate in the Orange Safe App and we hope this guide could make it a little easier. For more information about the app and other resources, visit the DPS website here.