Troubleshoot Advice

SAFEZONE IS CONTINUING 2013

Welcome to UOW Wollongong SafeZone

How can I feel safe on campus?

SafeZone is a free location-based app. for smart mobile devices making it easier to contact UOW Security if help is needed whilst on campus. It also enables UOW Security to respond if direct assistance is required.

SafeZone also coves the nearby local street network pathways of the Wollongong Campus. SafeZone is a permanent security enhancement in 2013.

CriticalArc’s SafeZone Enhances Personal Safety at UOW

With SafeZone on your SmartPhone, you are connected to UOW Security 24/7. You do not need to remember contact numbers for security if you have SafeZone downloaded.

Do you:

Walk over the F6 pedestrian overpass at any time of day?
Walk or ride along the TAFE cycleways, or through TAFE towards Foleys Avenue?
Park off campus and walk to your car?
Walk through the Botanic Garden?
Work back late on campus?
Walk between the campus and Murphys Avenue, Gywnneville?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, then you should download the SafeZone app. now. IT IS FREE.

SafeZone is funded by the Student Services and Amenities Fee.

SafeZone should provide all staff, students, approved visitors, campus residents and parents with the peace of mind that if you were to run into trouble, you can get help.

The app. for the Wollongong Campus SafeZone is FREE and response from UOW Security is FREE within the defined SafeZone area of coverage area (see below). UOW Security monitors SafeZone 24 hours a day.

Duress Call for SafeZone

About SafeZone

The SafeZone app. lets UOW students and staff, obtain assistance from UOW Security with a simple tap and hold on their SmartPhone (once the app. is opened).

Three types of assistance are currently available:

Duress Alarm.
Help call.
First Aid call.

Alerts

When any of the icons are used, e.g. Duress Alarm, Help or First Aid calls, your phone location will be shown on a map display for Security Officers to see where you are. If you are in a building, we will still get a location, but it may not be precise, so you still need to keep an eye out for the Security Officers responding.

If you raise an alarm, you must talk to a Security Officer and even if you have accidentally raised an alarm. It is important that we know you are safe.

What does this all mean?

A Duress Alarm

Could be activated by students or staff who find themselves in a situation where their personal safety is threatened or they are hurt or inured. Or students or staff see other person/s in trouble/hurt or injured needing assistance.

When the Duress Alarm app. is activated, an alarm will display your phone location on devices used by UOW Security Officers. Officers will then be able to determine how to respond to your location and situation. The Officers will attempt to call you, to talk about what is happening. You should try to talk to the Officers and explain what help you need and, if practical, confirm your location.

A Security Officer will then endeavour to attend your location and talk to you. You may still need to identify yourself to UOW Security Officers when they arrive, especially if there are a lot of people around.

When should I use the Duress Alarm?

If you feel threatened.
If someone is threatening or has just threatened you.
If you have been assaulted or are the victim of a robbery.
If you are hurt or injured.
If you see another person in any of the above situations who needs help.

Note: If you activate your phone outside of the Wollongong SafeZone (map) your phone will tell you that you are outside the zone and offer you a single-click button to dial triple zero “000” for emergency services (Police, Fire or Ambulance). Help Call for SafeZone

Help Call

A Help Call will connect you to UOW Security, and you can talk directly to a UOW Security Officer. Your location will be displayed on a map for UOW Security while you are making the call.

When should I use Help Call?

If you want a safety escort after dark.
Other scenarios (any scenario where you would use a security phone if one was available).
If you feel uncomfortable making a duress alarm.

Sometimes, if our phones are busy, you may get our third party call centre, and they will take your details and contact Security Officers to call you back straight away. Your location will still be displayed to us when you call, even if we cannot talk to you because our phone lines are busy.

First Aid Call

A First Aid Call will connect you to UOW Security – all Security team members are qualified First Aiders. First Aid Help Call for SafeZone

Your location will be displayed on a map for UOW Security while you are making the call. Officers will then be able to determine how to respond to your location and situation. The Officers will talk to you about what is happening. You should try to explain what help you need and, if practical, confirm your location. A Security Officer will then endeavour to attend your location and render assistance.

You may still need to identify yourself to UOW Security Officers when they arrive.

In all of the above Alerts, on-duty Security Officers have a device monitoring SafeZone Alerts and they have the capacity to call you. Our priority is to call you when we receive your alert, but you still have the option to press the 'call' button to speak directly. (Note that this will be a normal charge to your phone account through your provider).

Coverage

The Wollongong campus SafeZone coverage is shown in the map below:

Map for SafeZone

The UOW Wollongong Campus coverage is bordered by the local streets to the north west of the campus, the TAFE pathways towards Gowan Brae Avenue and towards Foleys Avenue and then University Avenue, Irvine Street, to Gipps Road towards Robson Road and return north along the western boundary of the campus.

Outside the Campus Zone

If you are outside the Wollongong SafeZone, when you activate an alert, your phone will provide you with a connection to triple zero “ 000” for emergency services.

Legal statement using safezone

The University of Wollongong’s (UOW’s) Security unit supports CriticalArc’s SafeZone product (‘the Application’) and will monitor and endeavour to respond to all alarms raised by using the Application. UOW sponsors this Application, so that the Application is free to staff, students and approved tenants or visitors. UOW cannot be held responsible for any costs, nor will UOW reimburse any costs to any user who may incur any costs in consequence to downloading this free Application. UOW may from time to time rely upon a third party monitoring station to notify on-duty Security staff of an alarm raised through the Application when operating conditions may vary during either session, or when staffing levels are operating at reduced levels after normal business hours or during non-session times. Receipt of the SafeZone alert by UOW Security and the time that it takes to respond to an alert may be impacted by security resourcing, network coverage, software issues, hardware issues, communications, traffic conditions in local street network and any number of other technical issues.UOW does not warrant that an alert will be received by UOW Security. UOW cannot be held liable for any failure of an alert to be received by UOW Security.UOW shall not be held liable for any loss suffered by the user as a result of delayed response time or no response by UOW Security as a result of network coverage, software issues, hardware issues, communication, traffic conditions and any number of other technical issues affecting receipt of the alert by UOW Security.UOW is not responsible for the software (the Application itself) and users who download and utilise the Application, do so at their own risk. Users must indemnify and hold UOW harmless for any losses arising from the user's use of the Application and/or the failure of the lert to be received by UOW Security for any reason. The user is responsible for ensuring that they have a reliable, functioning hardware (phone). The user remains responsible for ensuring that they have updated versions of the Application. The user is responsible for ensuring that their hardware is compatible with the Application software, and the user is responsible for ensuring they configure their Smartphone to work with the Application, including enabling location services to allow all networks to locate the position of the user. The user should be aware that an alert may be delayed, due to network links between the user’s mobile service provider and CriticalArc’s services.

Behaviour of Users

This Application is intended to raise an alert to the Security team for response to a personal safety issue or the personal safety issue of another. It is expected that users will use this Application when their safety is threatened, they need First Aid, they need assistance from UOW Security or they are seeking assistance for another person.

Misuse of the alert system would undermine the operational intent of the Application. Where UOW identify a user who is misusing the Application and/or creating false alarms, UOW will provide a formal warning to the user, directly and through CriticalArc. If the user repeats the misuse, UOW Security may formally write to CriticalArc to block user access for the user who identified as misusing the Application. UOW will not accept any responsibility or liability for a user who has access blocked in using the Application in any UOW SafeZone.SafeZone

This Application is available in 2013 - this will be advised to all students and staff.

Warning or Safety Messages

If you register with the SafeZone app., UOW may send push-text messages about important campus watch safety issues or other emergencies.

Students, staff and visitors are encouraged to download the SafeZone app. and register. It is FREE for all students and staff.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Duress” mean?

If you feel threatened or someone is threatening or has just threatened you, then you should use SafeZone’s Duress Alarm. If you have been assaulted or are the victim of a robbery, then you should use SafeZone’s Duress Alarm.

I do not want to make a fuss, but I have been threatened or I was assaulted: what can I do?

If you feel uncomfortable activating the Duress Alarm, then use the ‘Help Call’ icon instead. This function will put you through to Security via a phone call and they can talk to you and help you.

What if I raise an Alarm outside the UOW SafeZone?

If you are outside of the Wollongong SafeZone boundary, when you activate an alert, your phone will tell you that you are outside the zone and offer you a connection to triple zero “000” for emergency services.

What information does SafeZone store and how is my privacy protected?

As part of the app. download process, you will be asked to agree to the SafeZone End User Licence Agreement. You will also be asked to provide your UOW email address, your name, and a password. Additionally you may optionally provide other information and a face photo. UOW encourages all users to upload a face photo as this helps the UOW Security officer to identify you when responding to your alert. This is not a mandatory requirement.

In order to activate your SafeZone app., you will need to respond to an activation mail sent to your UOW email address.

All information provided by users of SafeZone is held in a high security data centre. All data transmissions are encrypted. CriticalArc’s handling of any personal data (including location) provided by users is in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) .

Will Safezone be tracking my location all the time?

No, SafeZone does not track your phone’s location until you raise an Alert by pressing the Duress Alarm or raising a Help or First Aid call. As part of your End User Licence, you agree for use of your location information by UOW Security personnel in order to expedite their response to your raised Alert. Your phone’s location will be tracked by SafeZone until such time as the Alert is cancelled – whether by you or by the UOW Security team.

Your location details during the course of an active Alert are logged by the CriticalArc server and may be used by UOW in future as part of a record of the incident, or for system performance analysis, or for UOW Security training purposes.

The SafeZone system incorporates safeguards to prevent unauthorised use of location data and unauthorised tracking of SafeZone users without their express permission.

Test Zones - How can I be sure SafeZone will work when I need help?

UOW Security and CriticalArc have defined two test zones where you can activate your SafeZone - Duress Alarm. Remember these are test zones, so a “real” alert cannot be activated in these zones. In these zones, you can activate a Duress Alarm and the SafeZone system will send you a message to let you know your Duress Alarm Test has worked.

Test Locations

These test locations are active (look for the signs):

Location 1 – Central Duck Pond Lawn adjacent to Building 11.
Location 2 – Building 67 adjacent Digital Sign Screens.
At the Security Office - On Monday mornings (by appointment) between 8:30am and 9:30am, you can go to the Security Office Building 116 (in Northfields Ave, opposite UniCentre), where you can test your app. with a security officer and see how the system works.

On what smart devices can I use the SafeZone app.?

The current version of SafeZone app. is compatible with:

Apple iPhone and iPad (available from Apple iTunes Store)
Android SmartPhones with at least Version 2.2 of the Android Operating System (Available from Google)

What are the recommended configuration settings for using the SafeZone app.?

Location Services Enabled – you will be prompted for this when installing the app.
Wifi enabled – having wifi enabled (without even being connected to a network) will significantly improve the accuracy of the location information sent by your device.
Wifi connected to the UOW network – being connected on wifi will help ensure that your alert will be sent, even if your mobile service provider does not have coverage where you are on campus. See here for details on configuring Wifi.