UB students: Turn your phone into a safety device

The University at Buffalo is launching a free smartphone app that turns a smartphone into a personal safety device.

The app is called UB Guardian, but you can find it as "Rave Guardian" in the App Store or on Google Play. After downloading and installing the app, UB students, faculty and staff can invite friends and family to participate and sign on as guardians.

You can share your intended destination and expected arrival time with your guardians and they can track your progress. You can also communicate with your guardians through the app.

There's also an emergency call button that will immediately connect you directly to University Police who will receive your profile information and your approximate GPS location. University Police caution users that the GPS is helpful, but police may need more information to find you. For example, the app can alert police to which building you are in but not what floor you are on.

Users may also provide information such as pre-existing medical conditions, emergency contacts or existing court orders of protection simply by adding it to their profile. That information will be visable to dispatchers when you use the app to contact University Police.

You can also use UB Guardian to call or text tips about suspicious activity on campus.

Only currently registered UB students and current employees with an “@buffalo.edu’” email address can use UB Guardian. Subscribers to the app must use an “@buffalo.edu” email to log in.

University officials say the UB Guardian app is a companion to the UB Alert emergency notification system, and does not replace it. UB Guardian will receive alerts about weather and emergency situations but will not automatically deliver them via text message like the emergency notification system. That's why all faculty, staff and students who have not already done so are encouraged to also register for UB Alert text and email messages.

Additional information about UB Guardian and answers to frequently asked questions can be found on UB’s emergency website.

Have a news tip, question or comment?