Where to rally if an emergency arises, building maps with safe zones for crises and information about the L.E.S.S. is More campaign are a few of the latest additions to TCU’s Frog Shield app.
The L.E.S.S. is More campaign, which stands for lockdown, evacuate and seek shelter, launched last semester. The goal is to serve as a helpful tool if a campus crisis occurs.
Adrian Andrews, assistant vice chancellor for public safety, said he hopes these additions help reassure students, faculty and staff of everything the police department does to keep them safe.
The additions to the app required a six-month process of documentation.
The app shows safe zones near every building on campus where students, faculty and staff can go if there is an active shooter. If a fire or a situation that calls for an evacuation occurs, the app shows where the on-campus rally points are.
Additionally, there is a video that provides safety tips for moments of crisis.
The app is only in English.
“We are looking at some other options that will offer us 20 languages to get the alert message out to our community,” Andrews said.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety Adrian Andrews. Photo courtesy of Adrian Andrews
Who uses the app?
Although neither the App Store nor the Google Play Store had information on downloads, Andrews said about 4,000 people have downloaded Frog Shield, 3,000 of whom are students.
Caleb Ervin, a junior criminal justice major, said he hasn’t downloaded Frog Shield; he believes the app isn’t necessary.
Ervin said he thinks the L.E.S.S is More drills should be taught to RAs and hall directors because students will not use the app.
However, Andrews said the police department has been doing L.E.S.S. is More drills in every residence hall on campus since the semester started.
Ervin said while all three additions serve a purpose, the evacuation and seek shelter protocols are more common sense and shouldn’t have been added.
“I feel like because of the event that happened two years ago when I was a freshman, it [lockdown] makes a lot of sense,” Ervin said.
Ervin said he has no plans on downloading the Frog Shield app.
The Frog Shield app is available for free in the App Store and in the Google Play store.
