Following the current rioting and civil unrest across the country, we understand that many of our student and staff community feel unsafe travelling. The University and Students' Union are recommending that all students and staff members download the SafeZone app if your phone or personal device allows you to. 

SafeZone is a free app and electronic system, giving you extra peace of mind when moving around. It can be used to anonymously flag urgent issues and is available to download now from the Apple or Google Play store. The app can be used nationally and globally.

It is in addition to the usual safety and security the University provides and allows them to send mass text messages to students in an emergency. 

The app provides many additional safety benefits, whether you’re working late, walking to your car at night, travelling at home or overseas, or have seen something that makes you feel uncomfortable. 

With the SafeZone app, you always control your visibility - you only share your location when you want to, and it can be turned on and off at any time. Even when you choose to share your location, only the security team will have access to it.

Once you have the app you can do the following:

• Call for help: this will come through to campus security wherever you are
• Raise a first aid alert – which will go through to security, if on campus, who will summon a first aider, or to the emergency services if you are outside a campus zone
• Raise an emergency alert – which will go through to security, if on campus, who will respond, or to the emergency services if you are outside a campus zone
• Report an issue or something suspicious for the security team to investigate
• Set a ‘check in timer’ - for example ten minutes if that is how long it takes you to walk to a car park. The app will then prompt you to ‘check in’ after ten minutes, and if you don’t, it will raise the alarm with security
• Receive a notification if there is an emergency incident anywhere in the world where we know our students are studying abroad or are on an arranged trip. Security can create a virtual ‘zone’ around that area, and push information and advice to people in that area who have the app
• Show My Location – identify your exact location at the touch of a button - useful if calling emergency services or breakdown assistance
• Get health and safety information and alerts relevant to your current location, whether here or overseas
• Give feedback, make suggestions for enhancements in a SafeZone Forum

1. Make sure the University have your correct mobile number at MyUCLan so they can use SafeZone to contact you in an emergency or critical incident
2. Download the app from the Apple or Google Play store
3. Enter your UCLan email and create a password of your choice that is not the same as your UCLan password
4. Please make sure you enter your mobile number ensuring it starts with “+44”, format leaving the “0” out. If you have an international phone number please take care to enter it correctly 
5. Add a profile picture. This will allow you to be more easily identified/located in an emergency via surveillance in the Security Control room.

SafeZone does not track your location. Your location is only identified once you raise an alert or when you Check In. Having the app doesn’t mean we can see your location – but it does mean we can send you urgent alerts in the event of an emergency. You can then choose to be visible if you need to – for example if asking for help.

You are in control of what you share – you choose if and when to share your location, and no one except security will have access to it. All information shared will be treated in line with GDPR legislation. SafeZone is a trusted external provider for many universities, including Manchester Metropolitan, Keele, York, Ulster, Leicester, and Herriot-Watt.

Read the Frequently Asked Questions. You can also visit the SafeZone website

Information taken from UCLan Students Hub