They're designed to help keep UK students safe especially at night.
Emergency phones have been placed at several spots around campus.
With another safety alert issued, officials say they're more important than ever.
However, we found the phones are being used for all the wrong reasons.
Nearly every college campus across the campus use these emergency phones, but their effectiveness is often questioned.
Over 70 emergency phones are found on UK's campus.
Major Joe Monroe says the response time, which can range from several seconds to five minutes, isn't necessarily why the system is ineffective.
He says most don't use the system for its original purpose.
Over the last two years, there have been 206 total activations, and only one time was it a true emergency.
UK is currently evaluating several other modes of security on campus that would ultimately replace this system.
UK Police say they had hoped the emergency phone system would serve more as a crime deterrent than anything else.