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Emergency Blue Light Phones

Emergency blue light phones (EBLPs) were added to UCF’s campus is 1995 and offer a direct connection to a UCF Police dispatcher. More than 260 emergency phones exist between UCF’s main campus, Rosen’s College of Hospitality, the Health Sciences campus in Lake Nona, and at UCF Downtown. You may notice that not all blue light phones look the same. The majority are large yellow poles, with a blue light on top and a large red button to press. However, emergency phones in the garages are silver boxes that are mounted on the wall. No matter what they look like, they all offer the same feature – direct access to a police dispatcher.

Once the red button is pressed, the dispatcher can communicate with you through the speaker. That dispatcher will also be able to identify which blue light phone the call is coming from and can send officers to the area immediately.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF MISUSING THE EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES? 

The emergency telephones are provided for the safety and security of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Abuse or misuse through prank, false, or harassing calls is a crime by state statute and violators will be prosecuted. If you press the red button by mistake, please advise the emergency operator immediately of your mistake.

ARE ALL EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES CURRENTLY WORKING?

This can vary on a daily basis with changes in environmental conditions/weather and use.  UCF IT Telecommunications has an internal policy that if an EBLP is reported inoperable, their team will attempt to fix the unit before the end of business that same day. By policy, if the EBLP can’t be fixed within 24 hours, the phone will be covered with a bag to distinguish it as inoperable.

HOW DO THE EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES HELP SUPPORT CAMPUS SAFETY?

The emergency blue light phones, while used infrequently, are a necessity in the event of an emergency. Campus and community safety is our number one priority, and we want everyone to be able to reach the police department at any time, even if they don’t have their phone with them or it’s inoperable.

HOW ARE THE LOCATIONS FOR EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES DETERMINED?

Locations for emergency blue light phones are determined by the Department of Emergency Management, with the assistance of the UCF Police Department. All new construction projects will also have these phones included in the building plans.

HOW ARE THE EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES MAINTAINED?

UCF IT Telecommunications maintains these EBLP’s through a software that checks each phone for dial tone, speaker volume and other diagnostics on a nightly basis.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO INSTALL THE EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES?

Installation costs vary based on the location of the phone.  Additionally, each phone is billed a monthly recurring charge of $50 per phone. This cost covers the maintenance, nightly software checks, and repairs. These charges can vary based on the technology included on the unit, and any additional maintenance or repairs that are required.

HOW OFTEN ARE EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES USED?

Calls from emergency blue light phones are not tracked separately from other emergency calls. Anecdotally, the EBLPs aren’t used very often with the rise in popularity of cell phones, however, they are helpful to have around campus in the instance someone does not have access to a phone and needs immediate assistance. Speakers on the emergency phones can also be used to broadcast a message in a campus emergency, and some of the newer emergency phones models feature cameras, which allows public safety officials to ensure campus is secure.

WHO MANAGES THE EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHT PHONES?

UCF Information Technology (IT) maintains the blue light emergency phone system. The Department of Emergency Management also assists UCF IT in providing the location of these phones, and the UCF Police Department is responsible for responding to calls when the button is pressed.