Emergency phones, installed around campus 10 years ago, are not being used for their original purpose, Department of Public Safety officials said.

“The phones are rarely used for reporting emergencies,” said Jerry Stewart, interim director of public safety. “We receive several hang-up calls during the week.”

Stewart said the phones ring into DPS on the 911 line.

When a call comes to the department, officers are able to locate exactly where the call is coming from. The emergency phones are accessible 24 hours a day.

A DPS officer is sent out to the area the call came from as soon as the department receives the call, he said.

“We send an officer to check out every call,” Stewart said. “Just as we would any 911 call.”

He said a person cannot dial out on the phones. There is just a button that is pushed that directs the call to the 911 line at DPS.

Stewart said he feels the phones are essential on campus, even if they are not used often. Students should use the phones in situations similar to any other 911 call.

“A student should use the phone to report suspicious behavior, a medical emergency or a crime in process,” he said.

Emergency phones such as these are common today on campuses across the country, Stewart said.

“Some colleges refer to them as a blue-light phone because of the distinguishing blue light on top of many of the phones,” he said.

Just as a regular telephone report, Stewart said, a caller does have the ability to remain anonymous when calling from an emergency phone on campus. He said anyone making a call to 911 as a prank may face criminal charges.

“The charge for a false report would depend on what was said,” Stewart said. “But a false report to 911 could result in charges.”

However, he said many times 911 is dialed by mistake.

“We get legitimate mis-dials,” Stewart said. “Students dial nine to get out instead of eight and then dial a one for long distance, and it goes straight to 911.”

Cathy Brown, program coordinator with Facilities, Planning and Management, said the phones were placed in specific places due to research done by a safety committee.

In 1991, Iowa State initially installed the emergency phones in response to students and staff that were concerned about safety on campus.

“The committee looked at places with the most pedestrian activity and buildings that were open after hours,” she said.

The initial emergency phones were placed along major walkways on campus, Brown said.

“We quickly found out that people didn’t use them on the walkways,” she said. “We learned from feedback that people felt the need for the phones in remote parking areas.”

The shift for the area of the phones then went to larger parking lots that are used in evening hours, Brown said.

Stewart said the phones in the large parking lots get used quite a bit.

“Many of the calls we receive from emergency phones come from the stadium, requesting the Help Van or a safety escort,” Stewart added.

Brown said she thinks a decrease in the need for the emergency phones on campus is a result of the increasing use of cellular phones.

“I suspect the general population of the student body has a phone already on them to use in emergencies,” she said.

“I suspect this will continue to change the need for the use of emergency phones on campus.