How the SafeZone app is boosting safety on campus

01 Aug 2019

While some universities are training their students to become ethical hackers in a bid to combat cybercrime, others are focused on offline dangers like violent attacks and security breaches that threaten safety on campus.

Since the recent robberies and physical attacks in Australia, where international students at an elite Melbourne university had their safety boundaries breached, many are haunted by the thought of it happening again and the discerning label of ‘cash cows’ luring robbers to target wealthy learners.

Due to these worrying occurrences, concerns for safety on campus have increased, and universities are upping their game when it comes to keeping students safe.

Ranking as a secure university doesn’t just ease the mind of aspiring overseas learners, it also affects the opinions of professors, parents and current students.

Therefore, safety on campus has become an essential point to promote in the prospectus, reflecting the university’s social heart and genuine consideration for its learning community.

In September, the FBI issued a public service announcement warning the growth of education technologies and widespread collection of student identification data “could have privacy and safety implications if compromised or exploited.” https://t.co/bNS4bkcTmb

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) July 17, 2019

What is the SafeZone app?

While scrolling through university web pages, you may notice that many now feature the SafeZone app on their campus safety information page, introduced as a free app-based system for students and staff that enhances their personal safety by Heriot-Watt University .

“SafeZone extends the reach of campus safety and security, to cater for the real time needs of the people who use campus every day. It provides a quick and easy way for users to alert SafeGuarding Services, when help or assistance is needed,” the university explains.

A universally-trusted app universities rely on to safeguard their students in case of any emergencies and to quickly track their whereabouts during a campus attack, there are different features you can make use of while studying abroad.

As safety on campus is a growing issue worldwide, perhaps universities should make these apps an integral part of students’ daily lives. Source: Michael Ciaglo/AFP

How will the SafeZone app help me?

Listing many features, the dynamic app covers a wide range of crisis solutions:

Emergency Alert: If you or another person’s personal safety is threatened or you’re injured, tap the red button to create an emergency alert. To cancel the alert, tap again while the timer is winding down.

First Aid Alert: If you or another person nearby needs medical assistance, tap First Aid to be connected to the response team or campus security. To cancel the alert, tap again while the timer is winding down.

Help Call: Choose Help to be connected to the response team or campus security for general help. You can cancel the call by tapping again while the timer is winding down.

Manual Check-In: If you’re working alone, outside normal hours, or are entering a high-risk work environment, SafeZone allows you to check in and share your location with members of the response team or university campus.

Check-In Timer: You can also set a check-in timer, which checks you in (as for Manual Check-In) and starts a countdown timer to cover the duration of your work session. The timer will count down to zero, starting from your nominated time.

With innovative and immediate solutions such as these, it’s an ideal precaution for universities to adopt.

From a check-in device and a first-aid alert, the app is ready for all forms of safety-threatening situations.

And by encouraging students to download apps like this, universities will not only improve the efficiency of emergency situations, but also ease students’ concerns and worries about what to do when their safety on campus is threatened.