Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

SafeZone Indoor Positioning Improves Police Response

  • 03/01/19
texas a&m university

Texas A&M University–San Antonio uses indoor positioning solutions by CriticalArc to improve police response with 3D imaging of the campus and enhanced emergency alerts.

“We live in a 3D world, and now this system gives us a 3D view of our campus,” says Roger Stearns, assistant chief of police at Texas A&M University–San Antonio.

He’s talking about CriticalArc’s Safe-Zone indoor positioning solution, which has been deployed on the campus and now provides his officers with an unprecedented three-dimensional view of the multistory buildings under their protection.

It is transforming the way they work. For example, instead of receiving an alert about ‘an incident somewhere in the student union building,’ they get pinpoint specifics, such as ‘incident on the fourth floor, west wing, outside room 410.’

“With SafeZone indoor positioning, we’re able to provide a faster response, whatever the emergency,” Stearns confirms.

Among other capabilities, SafeZone allows users to receive rapid help simply by activating an alert via an app or, in some cases, a wearable duress alarm. As soon as the alert is triggered, the location and details of the user are streamed to the monitoring team, allowing officers to coordinate a smarter, more targeted response. By enabling responders to visualize the precise location of an incident anywhere on campus, SafeZone is much more powerful than traditional fixed panic alarms and blue light telephones, which are more expensive to install and less accurate in operation.

Texas A&M–San Antonio says it will deploy SafeZone to cover any future expansion of the campus. The technology was introduced with no disruption to the campus in a matter of weeks during the summer break. Stearns adds, “The process to get the SafeZone indoor positioning solution deployed is a simple one, as it’s a wireless installation and easy to maintain.”

www.criticalarc.com

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management March 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.