With safety at top of mind, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Police Department is launching UMKC Guardian, a free mobile app that turns your smartphone into a personal safety device.

By downloading UMKC Guardian on your mobile device, you can invite friends and family to join your network as your “Guardians.” Once you have established who you want to be your Guardians, you can request one or more of them to virtually walk with you on or off campus. It’s like having an emergency blue light system and a trusted friend with you at all times.

How does the Guardian app work?

First, download and set up an account. The Rave Guardian App can be downloaded in the Apple or Google Play stores by searching for “Rave Guardian.”

Users can add their name, campus address, medical notes and other pertinent information for campus safety in case of emergency.

Secondly, begin adding contacts to join your “Guardian network.” Invite family, friends, or others to be your Guardian, and communicate with them within the app as needed.

Now, if for any reason you feel unsafe, you can set a Safety Timer with your Guardians. For instance, imagine a student is walking across campus alone at night. The walk back to the residence hall usually takes about 10 minutes. In the app, the student can set up a 10-minute safety timer with personal Guardian contacts. If the student does not deactivate the safety timer after 10 minutes, the Guardians will be immediately notified. Guardians will also have access to important details such as the student’s phone’s location on a map and contact information.

The app also allows for easy emergency communication. In an emergency situation, one button in the app directly connects the user to campus safety officials or 9-1-1.

Lastly, if you see something, you can now say something with the help of the app’s “Submit Tips” feature. This text feature allowing users to text the UMKC Police Department.

UMKC is encouraging all students, faculty and staff to download the free campus safety app.

To learn more about the UMKC Guardian app, go to the UMKC Guardian website or  http://www.raveguardian.com/.