Imperial has joined the SafeZone alliance, enabling a faster emergency response and assistance to students and staff when off campus.

Imperial, working with CriticalArc, have joined the SafeZone Alliance. The initiative enables the security control room to extend the footprint of 24/7 support beyond their campus boundaries to include any other participating universities. 

This means students and staff can raise an alert on the SafeZone app when on any other university campuses which are part of the alliance. The app directly connects them to the appropriate safety or security team for that area, who provide the assistance needed.

 “Student and staff wellbeing is always the top priority for us at Imperial and are pleased to put in place a technology solution that furthers this aim. This initiative serves to enhance the safety and wellbeing of our university community by building a network of safe spaces across the country and providing better response and assistance to staff and students.” said George Wrigley, Head of Community Safety and Security.

 In the event of an emergency - including an accident, crime, or medical incident - help is available to SafeZone users at the press of a button. Using the SafeZone app on their phone, students and staff are directly connected to the appropriate security team or first responder.

 For example, if an Imperial student is studying on campus alone late at night, that individual will have the peace of mind that dedicated first responders are instantly accessible at the tap of a button via SafeZone, confirming who needs assistance, their precise location, and the type of incident. The nearest first responders will be notified and dispatched to the scene to provide an efficient response. 

 The geofenced areas at Imperial include all halls of residence as well as the campuses and shuttle bus routes. Other universities participating in the Alliance include UCL, University of London, University of Manchester, University of Exeter, University of Sheffield and the full list of members can be found here.

Information on adding the Alliance as your organisation on the app can be found here.