Broken emergency poles cause student concern

Students attempting to summon public safety by using the emergency radio and telephone poles situated on-campus are now finding fewer places to do so.

The words “out of order” and “closed” adorn the faces of dozens of emergency telephone poles across Rowan’s campus. Some of these poles have been out of order since early last semester, authorities say.

In order to compensate for the lack of emergency poles, campus public safety patrols have increased their numbers. Students still do not feel safe, but the public safety department said it is doing what it can to solve the problem.

“I was in a situation last night where I really needed one. I really wish they had been working,” said Jennifer Dent, a sophomore elementary education major. “It’s really bad, especially if you happen to be a girl walking home from the library late at night.”

The department is currently operating on a $127,000 budget for the system. There are currently 87 poles in the blue system with plans to expand to 91 poles, in the near future.

“We are currently in the process of updating the old emergency system, or red phone system to the newer one, a blue phone system,” said Assistant Vice President of Public Safety Michael Kantner. “It is much cheaper to replace the old phones with new ones, rather than trying to repair them. Their parts are antiquated and very expensive, so it makes more sense to get rid of them.”

According to Kantner, the new phones are also much more reliable than the red system. Equipped with solar panels, blue phones can operate in all types of weather, including the winter snowstorms that would normally damage the old phone poles.

Despite future changes, the older phones still remain inoperable, leaving many areas without service. Some have even speculated that the cause of the poles being out of order is due to student tampering.

“We get about 10 false alarms each week,” Kantner said. “It’s not that bad but it’s a number we’d like to see go down. However, none of the out-of-order emergency poles have been due to the fault of student tampering. The poles are equipped to put a call into dispatch if they are shaken or hit.”

Still, students are concerned for their welfare and their lack of ability to call for help.

“It’s pretty hazardous. It’s not a big deal for me because I’m a guy, but I’m still concerned for a lot of the girls on campus,” said Zach Buck, a junior physics major. “There are a lot of creepers around here.”

The public safety department has been eager to respond to all student concerns on the matter of the broken emergency poles. They have been trying to address each complaint one at a time.

“We have been getting support from all levels,” Kantner said. “From the students all the way up to the Board of Trustees, we have been getting support. This is very important to us and these poles have been here for many years.”

To report an incident or a broken emergency pole, please contact public safety at 856-256-7428.