Fresno State Students to Receive PERS Pendants

California State University, Fresno purchased 2,000 PERS devices for students, particularly those who attend night classes at the school.

Fresno State Students to Receive PERS Pendants

The school purchased 2,000 PERS's from BASU, a company that manufactures portable safety devices.

Officials at California State University, Fresno are providing personal emergency response system (PERS) pendants to students to help ensure their safety while on campus.

Campus Housing Director Erin Boele tells KFSN-TV, an ABC affiliate, the alarm devices are especially welcomed by students who walk to night classes.

“Many of them walk back and forth to apartments or to their cars and we really just want them to be aware of their surroundings and this device helps them if they’re feeling threatened,” she says.

Fresno State bought 2,000 of the mini-alarms, which sets off a 120 decibel alarm, from BASU.com. The company’s PR Director Mya Papolu says several campuses around the nation have done the same.

KFSN-TV spoke with Karli Toome, a freshman, who explains her father was about to purchase a similar PERS device for her when she found out the university was supplying them for free.

“I feel it’s a pretty safe campus, but say if I was to go off-campus or something I like to have it just to have security,” Toome says. “Make sure nothing happen — if something does I have it with me.”

Some students attached their alarms to a water bottle; others put them on their key rings.

“Definitely I’m going to put it on my key ring. I mean, walking around here at night, like in the parking lot sometimes it’s sketchy so having something like this definitely makes me feel safer,” says Haley Chapman, a senior.

“Sound is a powerful means to alert people and in a way it’s preventative,” she says. “It’s not about response it’s about prevention in the first place.”


The above article originally ran in Campus Safety’s sister publication Security Sales & Integration.

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century

This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Our Newsletters
Campus Safety Conference promo