'If you see something, say something' to keep MUSC campus safe

After the active threat tragedy at Michigan State University, the Medical University of South Carolina’s Department of Public Safety urges students, faculty and staff to utilize resources that are in place to prevent something similar happening on the MUSC campus. 

DPS emergency manager Bryan Wood advises that all members of the MUSC community should speak up if they see something suspicious. The LiveSafe app, free for download on the Appstore, is the No. 1 resource Wood advises everyone to have on their phones. 

“We want everybody on our campus to be our eyes and ears. In order for that to happen, we've developed what's called the LiveSafe app for MUSC. We give presentations to anyone, anywhere, at any time about the LiveSafe app. Anybody that wants us to come in and talk to their staff for 10 minutes, we do it. It's what we love to do.”

Through the app, you can send anonymous tips by text, photo or video. “Take a picture, send it over anonymously to us, and we'll have a police officer there to investigate it within a minute.” 

The app also features a one-touch dialing button that connects you to either Public Safety or 911 anywhere in the country – not just on campus.  

The SafeWalk feature allows fellow students and peers to follow each other to their destinations virtually. Smart alerts will be sent out either once the person has safely reached his or her destination or if the person does not reach that destination in the estimated time.

Gigi Smith Ph.D., R.N, associate provost for Education, Innovation and Student Life is an advocate for the safety of all at MUSC. “The Michigan shooter was an outside person, and we try very much to stay in touch with our community, both externally and internally, to make sure that we are aware of what is going on. We would rather be proactive than reactive.”

“For the safety of students and the MUSC community, the Behavioral Support Intervention Team, including faculty members from each college, the Office of Student Engagement, Public Safety and University Counsel, meet regularly to discuss any possible campus issues in order to ensure that there's communication, not just within the colleges and on campus, but also with the police in case something has happened in our community so we can make sure we are aware and follow up.”

Ultimately, remaining proactive and communicating with Public Safety is the best way to make sure that all students and faculty and staff members remain safe on campus. Wood reminds people to download and use the LiveSafe app – always. And, he reiterated, “If you see something, say something.”