MATT HEISTAND/Arizona Daily Wildcat A crowd passes by an emergency phone located behind the Student Union Memorial Center late yesterday evening. Thirty-four additional phones will be added around campus throughout the current wave of construction, but ASUA Sen. Gloria Macias has said she wants to see even more installed.

Senator says university needs to make safety a higher priority

In an effort to increase campus safety, 34 new emergency telephone units will be installed near buildings as construction around them ends.

Associated Students of the University of Arizona Sen. Gloria Macias is currently trying to speed up the process of installing the units.

She has also been pushing for more emergency telephone units, in addition to the 34 already planned, but university-wide budget cuts have not allowed for this to happen.

Herbert Wagner, associate director of the Department of Risk Management and Safety, said his budget allows for the maintenance and repair of units that are currently up.

Wagner won't budge on putting in more than the allotted 34 units due to budget cuts but will repair units currently on campus, Macias said.

"I just know that you are supposed to see a blue light from everywhere on campus and that is not the case," Macias said.

Many students and professors have brought up their concern with her since she has started addressing this issue.

"Some professors I have talked to from other universities said they don't feel as safe here as they do at other universities," Macias said. "That tells me that this school doesn't focus on what should really be important to them."

The emergency telephone system on campus consists of more than 120 units located all over the university. The Department of Risk Management and Safety looks to repair and improve the emergency telephone system on a regular basis.

"We have enhanced the system at the entrance to (residence) halls," said Wagner. "There are blue lights above the house phones outside where students are able to call 911. "

There are two types of emergency telephone units. The older models are directed to police by lifting the telephone off the receiver. Newer models offer a large button that contacts emergency assistance.

"The nice thing about them is that we can tell exactly where the call is coming from," said Cmdr. Brian Seastone, spokesman for the University of Arizona Police Department.

This assists in the reaction time of emergency crews.

Last year, police figured that about 60 calls rang to UAPD per month, Seastone said.

He also said the emergency telephone systems are used for purposes in addition to emergencies, including access to informational and directional assistance.

Emergency telephone units can be found in every parking garage, at residence halls, campus buildings and other areas around campus.

All capital projects now require that any new buildings constructed by the university have a certain number of emergency telephone systems in relation to the size of the building.

The Student Union Memorial Center has two new emergency telephone systems in the completed section of the building. One is also to be added to the side of the structure that is still under construction.

Two new units are located in the Integrated Learning Center, as well one at McKale Center, and one at the teaching center.

ASUA plans on following up with the Department Risk Management and Safety to see what new developments evolve for the safety of students.