Forget 2222 — now you can text Fordham Security

Need to contact Fordham Public Safety? There’s an app for that.

The department has introduced the Fordham Safety Application, which offers an emergency texting option for people who are unable to call for help.

Any text message sent through the app goes directly to the Department of Public Safety. A supervisor will then be dispatched to any location in the vicinity of one of Fordham’s campuses(the app works best outdoors). If the user is not close by, the department will contact 911 to get assistance.

Anyone who downloads the app will need to provide their AccessIT ID and password, along with general profile information, such as the user’s cell phone number and gender.

Public Safety’s press release about the app cautions that it should only be used in situations in which the user cannot safely call 911 or the Department of Public Safety. While calling is still “strongly recommended.” in the words of the press release, the app offers an alternative option when this is impossible.

The University will not track the phones of anyone who uses the app. Public Safety will record the emergency message and the location from which it was sent; all other information will remain private. This also applies if someone uses the app more than once; only the new location that the message was sent from will be recorded.