HOUSTON, August 22, 2022— University of Houston-Clear Lake is elevating security and support for the university community by launching SafeZone, a unified safety, communications, and wellbeing service from CriticalArc.
Through this implementation, the university aims to deliver more rapid response to calls for assistance across all campus facilities. The service also features strict privacy safeguards based on opting in; SafeZone users’ real-time locations are shared only if they activate an app-based alert or choose to “check in.”
“We are always exploring ways to make UHCL even safer for our students, faculty and staff,” said UHCL Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Russell Miller. “With technology, I prefer looking into the future rather than settling for the past; SafeZone is the future of campus public safety.”
Miller said with the app, anyone in the campus community can request assistance with a push of a button on their smartphone. “Whether it’s an emergency, a medical issue or they want to check in as a lone worker after hours, SafeZone is a powerful tool to help us deliver the best possible service to our stakeholders,” he said.
CriticalArc Chief Operating Officer Darren Chalmers-Stevens said that in an emergency, a person can call 911, but on a campus, it’s often challenging for responders to find an individual’s exact location. “If students call for help with the SafeZone solution, first responders will know who called for assistance, where they are, and the nature of aid required to speed up the response and optimize incident outcomes. With the deployment of SafeZone, UHCL is transforming their safety, safety, wellbeing and emergency management capabilities to enhance the student experience and provide Safety Everywhere™ with one easy-to-use solution.”
Campus security authorities agree that the key to timely, effective incident response is not only understanding exactly who needs help where, but also knowing what resources are available and where they are relative to the incident so they can be quickly deployed for optimal outcomes. SafeZone will provide this capability, in addition to streamlining communications between first responders and those who request help.
Chief Miller hopes that as Safezone gains traction across the UHCL campus, users will find that it is a tool for positive engagement while promoting a “safety everywhere” culture.
The app will be available for the campus community this fall. “Information will be shared via social media, in-person meetings and e-mail, and will move forward in phases, including student groups and organizations, orientations, and faculty and staff groups,” he said.
About University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Houston-Clear Lake offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and three doctoral programs, from its four colleges, formerly known as schools, which include the College of Business, College of Education, College of Human Sciences and Humanities, and College of Science and Engineering. In 2011, the university gained approval from the state to add freshman- and sophomore-level courses to its roster and welcomed its first freshman class in fall 2014. For more information about the university, visit http://www.uhcl.edu.
To find more UH-Clear Lake news, visit UH-Clear Lake’s newsroom, http://www.uhcl.edu/news, or follow UH-Clear Lake on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/UHClearLake, and Twitter,
Social Media Links:
http://twitter.com/UHClearLake.
About CriticalArc
CriticalArc provides SafeZone®, the unified safety, security and emergency management solution that helps large organizations keep their people safe and respond more effectively to critical incidents so they can fulfil their duty of care and mitigate risks. SafeZone fundamentally transforms the ability to manage personal safety, security, and emergency situations so organizations can respond faster and more effectively to protect their most important asset, their people. Through real-time visualization, communications, and response coordination, SafeZone streamlines operations, is easy to use and quick to deploy. For more information on CriticalArc and SafeZone, please go to www.criticalarc.com or email marketing@criticalarc.com.
Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/criticalarc
Twitter: @CriticalArc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/safezoneapp
Media Contacts
- Katherine Adams, UHCL Marketing and Communications, +1 281 283 2048 or email adamskat@uhcl.edu
- Gerard Laurain, CriticalArc Chief Marketing Officer +1 720.234.2794 or e-mail gerard@criticalarc.com