SafeZone

Whilst on an Imperial site, or travelling via the Shuttle Bus, if you or someone nearby needs urgent help, SafeZone puts you in immediate contact with Imperial’s Security team.

• Tap the Emergency button to share your location and get a rapid response.

• Security can guide emergency services straight to you, on or near campus.

• If you’re within the Imperial geofence, your alert goes straight to the Security team.

• If you’re outside the geofence, SafeZone will connect you to 999 for emergency services.

Looking for wellbeing support? SafeZone makes it easy to find the help you need, whenever you need it.

• Simply open the SafeZone app and tap the yellow Wellbeing Assistance button to explore the support available to you—anytime, anywhere.

• Using this button is completely anonymous—your use isn’t logged, and no one will know you’ve accessed it.

• The only time the Campus Safety and Security team will see your location is if you call for emergency support while in a geofenced location.

If you or someone you know needs urgent help, contact local emergency services or press the red emergency button in the SafeZone app.

Working late or in a quiet area? SafeZone helps you stay safe and connected.
Designed for researchers, staff, and students working out-of-hours or in isolated spaces, SafeZone can support safer lone-working in permitted areas by automatically alerting Community Safety and Security team if you don’t check in as expected.

• Use the Check-In Timer to let Security know you’re working alone.
• If you don’t respond when prompted, an alert is triggered.
• Security will call to check on you—if there’s no answer, they’ll attend in person.
• This feature is optional but can be used as an extra control alongside your departmental lone working procedures.

SafeZone must not be used to manage lone working in RED or AMBER access-controlled areas.

For more information about access control areas in the university's guidance. 

SafeZone doesn’t just work at Imperial—it can also help keep you safe when visiting other participating universities and institutions.

• Through the SafeZone Alliance, you can connect to local safety teams at partner institutions across the UK.
• To use the Alliance, simply opt in within the SafeZone app before your visit.
• Once you’ve joined, the app will recognise participating locations and connect you to the appropriate local team for help.
• Your Imperial profile stays linked—so you won’t need to register again.
• View the full list of SafeZone Alliance members to see where you're covered.

The below video shows how to add the Alliance as your organisation.

No, SafeZone is completely optional and is simply intended as a more efficient and responsive way of communicating with the Security team. We encourage staff and students to use the app but you are under no obligation to download or register it.

All existing Security contact numbers remain operational and are supported. In addition to SafeZone, we recommend you save the relevant contact numbers you need within your phone address book.

Your location information is only shared when the app is active and when you have either activated an alert or ‘checked in’. Your location is only visible when you choose to share it. Details on an alert, including the location of it, are stored by the Security team for 31 days and are then discarded.

SafeZone requires your name, Imperial email and phone number to function. You can also add any information you may want the Security team to know in the event of an emergency (i.e. if you have a medical condition such as experiencing epileptic seizures). 

If you have any further questions, comments or feedback, you please contact the Security team.

There are certain issues that users with accessibility requirements may have when using SafeZone currently. These include:

• Users who are blind or have vision impairments may experience some problems when using SafeZone on iOS. The primary 'help' button is simply announced as "button" when using text-to-speech software and there is no indication as to what each button does.
• In iOS and Android versions, once a button is activated there is no audio feedback as to what is happening or whether an alert has been received.
• Direct conversation messages are displayed but are not automatically picked up by the screen-readers.
• The VoiceOver tool in iOS announces all menu items regardless of whether they are visible or not.
• Android users can find it difficult to close menus when using TalkBack.
• People using an external keypad to navigate the application may experience issues in seeing which specific element is in focus.

SafeZone is a third-party app that has been developed by CriticalArc in consultation with the College. Whilst we have worked closely with CriticalArc to ensure the app meets our accessibility standards , we have limited direct oversight as to how these issues are rectified but we are currently working with CriticalArc to ensure accessibility standards are improved in future versions. 

Users who are unable to use Safe Zone are encouraged to have existing Security contact numbers and addresses saved in your phone. All existing contact numbers are still operational and fully supported. You are also encouraged to pick up a free personal attack alarm from the Security office in South Kensington.