Ripple Network Technologies, Inc., makers of the world’s smallest personal safety wearable, today announced a partnership with Marietta College, a safety-focused, progressive and innovative institution of higher learning in Marietta, Ohio. Marietta’s belief is that this solution allows their students to safely navigate college life, not only on campus, but also in the surrounding Marietta community and anywhere they should travel in the United States. The Ripple Safety service will provide Marietta students direct access to Ripple’s 24/7, professional monitoring team at the click of a button.
Dr. William N. Ruud, President of Marietta College, explains what attracted him to Ripple Safety, “Ripple Safety is a pioneer in the personal safety industry, and soon after witnessing the capabilities of what they can do, it became clear we wanted to bring their technology to the Marietta College campus community. We have been working with the Ripple Safety team since May of last year and we are excited to make this technology available to our students and their families.”
“For many, college is the first time we live on our own, away from our parents and away from those we always depended on – and that, alone, can be a scary feeling for first-time students,” said Tim O’Neil, CEO, Ripple Safety. “Ripple Safety offers peace of mind by providing students a trusted resource to rely on in any uncomfortable situation at any time, such as walking alone across a dark college campus or coming home after a late night out. Just click your Ripple Button and our monitoring team immediately calls you to stay on the phone until you safely get you to where you’re going. In genuine emergencies we’re there to help, too. Just click your Ripple Button three times and we have all the information required to dispatch emergency resources directly to your location without requiring your student to say a single word. We want every student to be safe and there’s no greater way to do that than with the technology and service that Ripple Safety provides.”
“Ripple Safety’s device and service are an invaluable complement and resource in our daily mission to protect the students, faculty and staff of the Marietta College community. Providing every student the ability to have a one-touch connection to our Campus Police Department is technology at its finest, and we couldn’t be prouder to unveil this today,” said Marietta College Campus Police Chief Jim Weaver.
Ripple Safety is not simply another panic button or stand-alone safety app. It is the personal safety service for the modern world – truly solving both emergencies and uncomfortable situations with a live, U.S.-based, professional monitoring team. And unlike other personal safety wearables on the market, Ripple Safety’s device is water-resistant, never needs to be charged and is the size of a dime. The discreet wearable links through Bluetooth to the user’s smartphone and can be accessed without anyone noticing.
"I think it's great that Marietta is partnering with Ripple," said Samantha Welch ’18. "It's such a great product because not only does it give you peace of mind walking home at night, it's really nice to just have someone to talk to. I think Marietta is a perfect campus to be Ripple's first partner, and we will certainly be glad that we took this opportunity."
Alerts are handled by Ripple Safety’s live, 24/7, professional monitoring team, and alerts needing immediate, true emergency attention are relayed to 9-1-1. When a user signals for emergency assistance, the Ripple Safety monitoring team conveys all necessary information from the user’s in-app profile to First Responders – including the location of the individual, physical description, and medical information – ensuring the most immediate and accurate response. Ripple Safety users can customize the service based on their own needs:
When pressed once, a call from the Ripple Safety Team is immediately initiated to assist the user. This is ideal for situations when users are feeling uncomfortable, but don’t have an emergency (e.g., leaving work late, walking the dog at night, or returning home alone, etc.).
In true emergencies, when the Ripple Button is pressed three or more times, the Ripple monitoring team follows the user’s defined in-app instructions, and can immediately alert 9-1-1 or Campus Police with the user’s profile and exact location, getting them the emergency help they desire without them having to say a single word.
The user can also skip the live-monitoring service option, and opt to use the system to alert friends and family with a customized message and user location. This peer-to-peer service is free and the user only pays the upfront cost of the Ripple Button.
Ripple Safety’s wearable and service is available at www.RippleSafety.com for a one-time cost of $19, plus a nominal price of $10 per month for the professional monitoring safety service, which is standing by live, 24/7, covering users anywhere they are in the United States. The subscription may be canceled at any time. The dime-sized wearable Ripple Button lasts for approximately six months with no charging required. Before the Ripple Button expires, Ripple Safety monitors the remaining battery life and mails active users their brand-new Ripple Button, for free.
More About Ripple Safety
Ripple Network Technologies, Inc. was co-founded in 2015 by Rees Gillespie, the creator of Ripple Safety, and his lifelong friend, Jaime Gomez. Rees was inspired to create Ripple Safety after his mother, a real estate agent, continuously asked him to call and check on her while attending showings with unknown clients. Inspired by wanting to ensure everyone has instant access to a safety network of dependable professionals that can be utilized anytime, anywhere, Rees set out to create a trusted safety service that empowers users to live their lives knowing safety experts always have their back. To learn more about Ripple Safety, visit https://www.RippleSafety.com/ or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
More about Marietta College
Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy begun in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 40 majors and has been listed among Barron's Best Buys in College Education and Peterson's Competitive Colleges, and has been recognized as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com.