How Bluelight Works

1. Input Your Travel Time
   Set Bluelight for the length of time you need to arrive at your destination. If you’re walking home from school and you know it will take 20 minutes, set Bluelight for 20 minutes.
2. Select a Contact
   Select a friend you trust from your address book to be your Bluelight contact. For example, choose your sister, Betsy. Set a custom message if you want.
3. Set Alert
   Hit “Set Alert” and head towards home.
4. Stay Safe
   Arrive safely at your apartment and press “Cancel” in Bluelight. If you don’t hit “Cancel” before the timer expires, Betsy will receive an alert from Bluelight letting her know to get in touch with you to make sure you’re okay.

Our Story

Bluelight was designed by Betsy Huigens, a junior at Depaul University in Chicago. Betsy recognized the reality that young adults often go out alone at night, but believed there had to be a better way to stay safe while still maintaining independence and privacy.

• Betsy Huigens Bluelight founder
  “I thought of Bluelight when I noticed a lot of my friends would go out alone and not tell anyone where they were. I wanted to create a solution that would make them safer and that they would actually use.”
• Claire Lew Bluelight team member
  “Bluelight is so easy. With the press of a button, I can live my life and be independent without having to worry.”
• Nick Rosa Parent and Bluelight advisor
  “I remember when my kids left for their freshman year of college. I would have welcomed a product like Bluelight to give me some assurance and peace of mind.”

Questions & Answers

• I just signed up for Bluelight. What do I do now?
  To use Bluelight, select a contact who has either a cell phone number or an email address in your iPhone address book. Explain Bluelight to your contact, test the system and establish a safety plan (described at left).
• How and when will Bluelight get in touch with my contact?
  Bluelight sends either a text message or an email to the person you designate in your address book (so be sure they have a cell phone number or email address in their address book entry). Bluelight will only send a text or email to your contact after the time has run out on a Bluelight alert that you have created, or if you press “Send Alert Now”.
• What if my contact is away from phone or computer when Bluelight sends an alert?
  If your contact is away from the phone, the alert will go unnoticed. It is best to let your contact know that you are using Bluelight and to ask them to keep an eye on their phone or email in case an alert is sent.
• What happens if my iPhone battery runs out?
  The alert will still be sent at the designated time even if your battery runs out. You should make sure your phone has enough battery left to last for your full Bluelight alert so that you don’t inadvertently send an alert to your contact.
• What does the “Send Alert Now” button do?
  When a Bluelight alert has been created, you can use the “Send Alert Now” button to send an alert immediately to your contact instead of waiting for the timer to run out.
• I just received an alert from Bluelight saying one of my friends didn’t check in. What should I do?
  Try to contact your friend and make sure she or he is okay. Ask your friend to create a safety plan with you so you will know what to do next time.
• Is Bluelight enough to keep me safe?
  Bluelight helps maintain your privacy and safety and lets a designated contact know when you don’t arrive at your destination on time, but that’s all it can do. Please be safe and sensible. Don’t go out alone at night if you don’t have to. Be aware of your surroundings. Take a basic self-defense course. Always dial 911 in case of emergency.

When to use Bluelight

You should use Bluelight anytime you’re traveling from Point A to Point B and want the added confidence that someone will be notified if you don’t arrive when you thought you would.

Here are some situations when Bluelight might be helpful to you:

• Getting cocktails with blind date.
• Taking a jog at the crack of dawn…or 10am.
• Riding the bus home after work.
• Picking up an item you bought from Craigslist.
• Hiking or mountain biking.

Do you have great ideas for how to use Bluelight? We’d love to hear them. Shoot us an email at hello@bluelight.com

Safety Plan

We hope your iPhone will never have to send a Bluelight alert to your contact, but you and your contacts should be prepared in case a situation arises.

Before you use Bluelight, make a safety plan with the people who will be your Bluelight contacts. An example safety plan is shown below for Sally (the Bluelight user) and Betsy (the contact). You and your contacts should modify this plan so it makes sense for you.

1. Betsy receives a Bluelight alert.
2. Betsy calls, emails, and texts Sally to make sure she is okay.
3. If Sally doesn’t respond, Betsy contacts a few of Sally’s close friends who might have additional information. Good people for Betsy to contact are Sally’s roommate, mother, father and boyfriend.
4. If Sally’s additional contacts don’t know where she is, Betsy analyzes the information contained in the Bluelight alert. Based on the GPS coordinates and map of Sally’s location, Betsy might be able to figure out where Sally might have been headed or identify additional friends who are nearby that might be able to help.
5. If Betsy is unable to locate Sally after taking the above steps, Betsy will call 911.