Manchester universities collaborate with CriticalArc’s Safezone to develop unified city-wide safety and security initiative

Three Greater Manchester universities have pioneered the UK’s first city-wide safety and response initiative using digital technology from CriticalArc’s, SafeZone.  

The University of Manchester, the University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan, have created the Manchester SafeZone Alliance, in partnership with CriticalArc. The initiative enables the three security control rooms to extend the footprint of 24/7 support beyond campus boundaries, and highlights the growing collaboration in cities between safety and security systems and teams.

The three universities have each deployed SafeZone, CriticalArc’s unified safety, security and emergency management solution, wherever an organisation has duty of care. Now, with the formation of the Manchester SafeZone Alliance, security staff from each campus will provide reciprocal support to each other’s staff and students. 

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 safety and security team or first responder.  

For example, if a University of Manchester student is walking home alone late at night through the Manchester Metropolitan University campus, that individual will know that university first responder teams are instantly accessible, confirming who needs assistance, their precise location, and the type of incident. Only when an individual calls for help is the identity and location of that person shared with the university’s security team. 

READ: “Making it easy for university security teams” – A deep-dive into CriticalArc’s Safezone

Dr Sam Grogan, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Student Experience at University of Salford, commented: “Student and staff wellbeing is always the top priority for all three universities, and we are pleased to put in place a technology solution that furthers this shared aim. Manchester and Salford have a long-standing reputation for being inclusive and welcoming destinations for students from around the world. This pioneering cross-city initiative serves to enhance the safety and wellbeing of our university community.” 

Darren Chalmers-Stevens, Managing Director of CriticalArc, concluded: “We are delighted to be working with the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Salford on this project to give added reassurance to thousands of students and staff. The SafeZone Alliance sets these Greater Manchester universities apart and demonstrates their commitment to the wellbeing of students and staff, beyond traditional campus boundaries. We believe this alliance will prove to be a catalyst for game-changing cooperation between universities around the world.” 

More information on the collaboration can be found here or from the video below. 

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