UT releases safety app for students, workers

8/10/2013

A smartphone application designed to provide college students with the feeling of extra security is being made available to all University of Toledo students and employees.

The app, LifeLine EDU, became available to faculty, staff, and students Friday.

University of Toledo police Chief Jeff Newton declined to say how much money the university spent for the downloads, citing an agreement with the vendor, but said the one-year contract price tag was “four figures.”

To download the app without the usual $7.99 fee, users must use their university-provided email address. Information on obtaining the app is available on the department’s Web site and its Facebook page.

The app works one of two ways: Users can launch the app on their cell phones and hold a thumb on the screen; if their thumb is removed after 20 seconds and a LifeLine dispatcher cannot reach the user, the dispatcher will call local police and, using GPS, provide the user’s location.

Alternatively, users can set a timer and, once they are safe and reach their destination, disarm the app.

The program can also send alerts to friends or family if police are dispatched to help a user.