Humboldt Neighborhood

BlueEmergencyPhones

Sep 18, 2007

A stroll through Portland Community College?’s Cascade Campus quickly reveals a host of blue poles scattered around the grounds. Each pole marks the location of an emergency phone from which anyone ?– even those not associated with the Campus ?– can place a call in the event of an emergency.

To activate the phones, PCC Public Safety Officer Rick Rivera said, a user simply picks up the receiver and presses the phone?’s single button. The user is connected to an operator at PCC Public Safety?’s Dispatch Office, who then ascertains the nature of the emergency and dispatches Public Safety or Portland Police officers to the scene. Once a phone has been activated, Rivera said, a blue light atop its pole begins flashing, quickly alerting nearby officers of the user?’s presence. The lights can also serve as a deterrent to anyone who might be menacing the user, he added.

?“The phones are strictly for emergencies,?” Rivera said. ?“Once you push the button, stay there. If you push the button and leave, we can?’t find you and protect you.?”

The phones are provided by PCC as a public resource. They can be used to alert officers to any emergency in the vicinity, not just within the confines of Cascade Campus.