Texas A&M University-Kingsville is prioritizing safety and wellbeing for its 9,000-plus students and campus staff with the roll-out of SafeZone technology from CriticalArc.

SafeZone is a unified platform for safety, security, emergency management and wellbeing support, and a leading solution for the higher education and healthcare sectors. It offers significant advantages over traditional solutions with higher user engagement. Through real time coordination and response, SafeZone empowers organizations to act faster and more effectively to deal with incidents of any scale. SafeZone’s operational insights streamline day-to-day operations and provide post-incident learnings, allowing continuous improvement of team performance and optimization of future response.

As part of its vision to become a smart campus, Texas A&M University-Kingsville has made it a priority to invest in advanced safety technologies and protocols. The student experience and the safety of students and staff is being optimized through digital transformation. SafeZone will make it easy for students to request immediate assistance with a single tap on their smartphones, whether it be to ask for emergency help, report a concern or access support services.

When a user activates a duress button on the SafeZone app, their identity and location are instantly shared with campus police. First responders are notified in real-time, enabling a coordinated response. The system also initiates two-way communications with the user and first responders, enabling the fastest and most appropriate intervention.

SafeZone’s intuitive interface and user-friendly features make it an accessible tool for every member of the university community. Whether they are facing medical emergencies, potential threats or any other hazardous situations, users have peace of mind knowing that help is just a fingertip away.

Functionality also extends beyond the campus boundaries, ensuring that users are protected even when they are off-site. Unlike a typical duress system, SafeZone provides Safety Everywhere, protecting users whether they are on campus, taking part in athletics or academic events at other locations or working and travelling abroad.

“We take the safety of our students and staff extremely seriously at Texas A&M University-Kingsville,” said Julian Cavazos, Chief of Police at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. “With the integration of the SafeZone platform, we are reinforcing our commitment to providing a secure and supportive campus environment. This cutting-edge technology will enable our students to feel safer, knowing that our police team is always there to assist them.”

Texas A&M University-Kingsville conducts regular drills, training sessions and security audits to assess and refine emergency response protocols. SafeZone will now be a key enabler for the police department, improving response efficiency, reassuring students and ensuring the best outcomes in emergency situations. The university is encouraging all students, faculty and staff to download and use the SafeZone application, which is available free on iTunes or Google Play stores. Julian Cavazos adds that by using SafeZone, every member of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville community can become an active participant in fostering a secure, supportive and welcoming campus:

“By embracing this technology and working together, we can create an environment where students can focus on their academic pursuits, personal development and wellbeing without concerns about safety,” said Darren Chalmers-Stevens, CriticalArc’s chief operating officer.

Chalmers-Stevens' said that the whole Texas A&M University-Kingsville community would benefit from the enhanced safety that SafeZone provide. “Universities, healthcare providers and major organizations across the U.S. are adopting SafeZone technology, ensuring that they can take better care of their people, respond rapidly to any situation, and deal with any incidents more effectively.”

For more information, visit: criticalarc.com.