Have you ever felt uncomfortable walking at night alone on campus? If the answer is yes, you’d be far from alone–which is why Southern Maine Community College’s Safety & Transportation office introduced the Rave Guardian App in 2018. The app is still available and free to all students and can be downloaded in the Apple Store or the Android App Store by searching for the keywords “Rave Guardian.” 

The app has a number of helpful safety features for students, including the ability to submit a tip to campus security, access emergency information, call security, or be connected to 911. The app also has a “safety timer” feature that allows students to have someone monitor a trip on campus for safety. 

When students select the “safety timer” feature, they will be redirected to enable geolocation so the app can accurately track their location. After enabling location tracking, students can choose to have “friends & family” in their contacts watch over the walk-in in real-time. Alternatively, students can request a “guardian,” an SMCC security staff member available to meet at your location and physically guide your walk. These guided walks are available seven days a week, from 7 am-11 pm, and are completely free to SMCC students and faculty. 

Another great feature the app offers is the ability to send a tip anonymously–meaning students can be connected to security officers in real-time and get answers to their concerns without worrying about personal privacy or repercussions from reporting.

If you’d prefer not to use the RAVE app but still need to get in touch with security, you can contact the office 24 hours a day for any campus, year-round, at 207-741-5553. The office can also be reached via email at security@smccME.edu. 

Elora welcomes students and faculty to reach out with suggestions for articles– you can reach her via email at eloraagriswold@smccme.edu or on Instagram at @elora.abigail.