Kedia Davis has been dispatching in college towns for 23 years.
As lead dispatcher for the Auburn Security Shuttles, she considers her own child who attends Troy University when she answers a call for a safe ride home.
“I would want to talk to a person like me if I had to call and if there was an issue about my child on another campus,” Davis said. “I have to always go the extra mile because I put myself in that other parent’s shoes.”
She began working in Tuskegee, moved to Huntsville and then back to the Auburn area. The shuttles, now managed by Associate Director of Campus Safety Tony Dean, hit the campus in 2008.
The security shuttles provide a safe and secure ride on campus after the day transit stops running after dark, from 6 p.m. - 7 a.m., Dean said.
There is a maximum of 10 shuttles running every night and a minimum of five. The number of shuttles has increased by two since November 2017 when Dean took the position at Auburn.
Dean said the shuttles run about 300-400 students early in the week, but on the weekends, they run anywhere from 1,200 to 1,300 students. This influx of students has prompted the creation of an app for the security shuttle pick-ups.
According to Dean, the app is near completion and will be dropping in the next week or so. Students can download the Campus Safety app to find the Night Security Shuttle feature.
“The student won’t even have to contact a dispatcher,” Dean said. “Soon enough they will be able to click a button and the dispatchers will send an automated message saying they received the call, and here is the estimated wait time.”
Dean said the wait time varies night-to-night, but the average time expected is about three to five minutes. Dean said if they see an increase in the wait times, they will add another bus to the routes or repurpose the shuttles to be more effective.
If students feel unsafe while waiting, Dean recommends staying in a well-lit area or in a group of people. He said students waiting at the RO parking lot can wait in their vehicle, turn on their flashers and the shuttle will come to them.
“We want to reduce the time that students are vulnerable,” Dean said.
The shuttles are operated by security guards who were trained and background-checked in Auburn. Dean said each of the new employees is vetted by a board of Auburn employees before receiving the position.
Each shuttle is equipped with GPS location services, and the dispatchers can see everywhere the shuttles go. The security shuttle monitors are also able to see and hear what is going on in the shuttles through the recording software on the buses.
“What I just ordered are placards that will go in the buses, kind of like taxi medallions in New York City,” Dean said. “There will be a placard in the window that will have a picture of the driver, the driver’s name and who to talk to if they have any concerns.”
Dean said they have had no problems with their drivers, but any level of accountability is important to the team. Dean said the team wants to hear from the students and for campus to know they are responsive.
“We want to make sure our students feel safe and empowered to talk to us if they have any concerns,” Dean said.
For concerns or comments about the night security shuttles, contact Tony Dean at 334-728-9465.
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