3 ways to stay safer after dark

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Going out alone after dark can be nerve-wracking for some, but it doesn't have to be  — especially when UAB has multiple resources to help keep you safe on and around campus.

With a police force boasting 100-plus accredited officers, a fleet of marked and unmarked patrols monitoring campus and roughly 3,700 video cameras in campus buildings, parking decks and outdoor areas, UAB has invested in keeping its students and employees safe, and the campus remains among the lowest in incidents of sex-related offences, robbery, aggravated assault and burglary when compared to urban and non-urban universities in Alabama with more than 16,000 students — and regional peers such as Emory and Vanderbilt universities.

UAB also offers services such as smartphone apps and safe transportation options to help you play an active role in your own personal safety, so make your phone an essential part of your safety plan. Check out these three ways to stay safe and more resources at uab.edu/safety.

1. Download and use the campus safety app, Rave Guardian.

1. Download and use the campus safety app, Rave Guardian.

Rave Guardian is one of the easiest and best ways to ensure your personal safety as you’re traveling at night.

Once you download the Rave Guardian app, free to anyone with a UAB email address, users can request a virtual safety escort on their smartphone from a friend or family member who has also downloaded Rave Guardian — or from UAB Police.
2. Request a ride from the UAB Blazer Express Safety Escort Service.

2. Request a ride from the UAB Blazer Express Safety Escort Service.

UAB employees and students can request transportation from UAB Safety using TapRide by DoubleMap, available for download on iOS and Android devices. The service offers daily late-night service on-demand 9 p.m.-5:30 a.m. within the UAB footprint, extending to Railroad Park to the north, Eighth Street to the west, 22nd Street to the east and 14th Avenue to the south. Both ONE Cards and masks are required to ride. Rides can also be requested by calling Safety Escort, 205-934-8772.
3. Know where UAB’s 490-plus Help Phones are located.

3. Know where UAB’s 490-plus Help Phones are located.

Familiarize yourself with the Help Phones located on your daily routes; they are a direct link to the UAB Police Department and are monitored 24 hours a day.

Help Phones can be found in building hallways, elevators, parking lots, parking decks, between buildings and in other remote areas. To operate Help Phones in metal boxes, open the door and pick up the handset. To use the smaller, yellow Help Phones, press the red button once and wait for a dispatcher to answer. Elevator Help Phones are located behind a metal panel; to use, lift the handset and wait for the dispatcher.