University of Washington Deploys SafeZone to Enhance Safety and Security of Students and Staff
Technology to boost real-time coordination of safety, security and incident management.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 2, 2018 – The University of Washington Police Department (UWPD), is providing emergency and safety support through a comprehensive campus safety solution called SafeZone®, by CriticalArc. The technology puts safety in the hands of students and staff by providing direct and prompt access to UWPD’s team, if an emergency occurs or first aid or assistance is required.
Driven by the passion that pushes the University of Washington (UW) to tackle challenges and pursue progress, the UWPD was in search of a solution with an extensive range of capabilities, including the ability to view and coordinate resources for campus-wide incidents, and allow quick response to personal alarms, in order to positively impact the outcome of any situation. The SafeZone solution delivers on all counts, driving significant efficiencies and helping to safeguard the University’s reputation.
Ranked No. 14 in the world and third among US public universities on the 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities, the University of Washington is committed to the best practices and latest technology to enhance the safety and security of the University community. In parallel with implementing SafeZone, UWPD’s expanded use of mobile technology through its early adoption of the FirstNet Public Safety Network will further enhance campus safety at UW.
Among other capabilities, the SafeZone system allows users to get help from UWPD by activating an alert via an app. The location and details of the user are then streamed to UWPD personnel who can quickly coordinate resources to provide the necessary help. The integrity of students’ personal information is protected at all times by SafeZone’s stringent privacy protocols, which prevents a user’s location from being shared, unless they activate an alert for help.
SafeZone will initially be available to the over 50,000 students and staff at its Seattle campus, and in later stages, will be offered on its Tacoma and Bothell campuses. SafeZone is already in use in over 84 countries at universities and corporations across the US, UK, Australia, and the Middle East.
Assistant Vice-President for Student Life/Chief of Police John Vinson (UWPD), said: “Staff and student well-being and safety is of the utmost importance at the University of Washington and a critical component of the Husky student experience. The SafeZone solution enables us to respond more effectively and efficiently to students and staff who need emergency support. After monitoring SafeZone’s development for some time, we have been consistently impressed with the benefits it can deliver along with its ease of use and deployment.”
Chief Vinson said SafeZone would also provide UW with the opportunity to enhance campus-wide preparedness for critical incidents including the ability to coordinate real-time response by effectively utilizing resources across the entire organization.
Glenn Farrant, Chief Executive Officer, CriticalArc, noted; “I’m excited to announce that the implementation of the SafeZone Public Safety Solution at the University of Washington has been enabled by a Public-Private partnership between the University and CriticalArc. The partnership includes a focus on researching the effectiveness of the application of technology on campus safety. We’re pleased to be working with Chief Vinson, who, as a thought leader in the campus safety arena, will lend his extensive experience to this endeavor which will surely produce benefits for the campus safety industry as a whole.”
University of Washington Contact:
Dr. John Vinson
Assistant Vice-President for Student Life/Chief of Police
vinso1jn@uw.edu | 1-206-543-0521
CriticalArc Media Contact:
Gerard Laurain Global Director of Marketing
Gerard@CriticalArc.com | 1-720-234-2794