If you take classes at Brookdale’s Lincroft or Wall campuses, you have most likely noticed the tall, white towers with “Emergency” in bold print across them and iridescent blue lights perched on top planted around campus. You may have wondered what happens when you use one…
The Blue Light Emergency Phones were installed on campus in an effort to make community members safer and more connected to the Brookdale Police Department.
“We want students to feel comfortable reaching out to and speaking with the Brookdale Police for any reason. A good relationship between a community and its police department always keeps a community safer,” Brookdale Police Chief Robert Kimler said.
Community members are welcome to use any of the 18 emergency phones in the event of any problem the Brookdale Police can assist with or any emergency.
The emergency phones are not meant to be present for only the most dire emergencies. In fact, “callers most commonly utilize our emergency phones to report things like needing assistance with a disabled vehicle,” Kimler said. While they “can’t assist with flat tires or engine trouble, the Brookdale Police do offer free jumpstart and vehicle lockout services, and that can go a long way for someone who locked their keys in their car.” 

The system is also especially useful in the event a student needs to notify the Brookdale Police they are leaving their car in a Brookdale parking lot overnight until it can be towed.
Calling in using the emergency phones will direct you to a Brookdale dispatcher through Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Communications. When calling in, the caller should hear “Brookdale Police.” The Brookdale dispatcher will send Brookdale Police to the caller’s location.
“In an emergency, a person can call 9-1-1 or pick up on an emergency phone. In both cases, the caller will be put in immediate contact with Monmouth County Communications,” Kimler said.
The emergency phones “are strategically placed in and around parking lots, along roadways and walkways.” According to Kimler, a minimum of one phone is in or adjacent to every parking lot. There are phones near the tennis courts and baseball fields, and “on the back walkway.” The Brookdale Police sought to install the phones “in areas that are more remote or isolated.”
“The purpose of the phones is to provide community members with a direct line to our dispatch. While most people now possess smartphones, not everyone does, and in an emergency, it may be quicker to reach out for an emergency phone than to try and pull out and use one’s smartphone,” Kimler said.
Today, Blue Light Emergency Phones are located on the Lincroft and Wall campuses, but students at other campuses could see them appear in the future.
“In an emergency, [a community member] should utilize the emergency phones or call 9-1-1,” Kimler said.
If a community member does not wish to utilize a Blue Light Emergency Phone but wishes to contact the Brookdale Police Department, they can call 732-224-2222.