Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/12/26

Key Takeaways

  • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has launched Safe@UTC, a new emergency notification and incident management app developed in partnership with 911Cellular to enhance campus safety.
  • The app features tools such as a one-touch panic button, suspicious activity reporting, Safe Walk monitoring, SafeRide requests, and targeted emergency alerts with real-time location updates.
  • In addition to the app, UTC is installing wall-mounted, computer-based, and wearable panic buttons that integrate with a centralized security system to improve emergency response and prevention efforts.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations. It also provides students, faculty, and staff with a variety of safety resources.

The apps functionalities include a one-touch panic button that connects users with university police, the ability to report suspicious behavior, remotely monitored Safe Walks, the ability to request a SafeRide, and easy access to other campus resources, according to the news release.

“With the implementation of 911Cellular and the launch of the Safe@UTC app, we have taken our campus safety commitment to the next level,” said Brett Fuchs, UTC Director of Emergency Management, Threat Assessment, and Safety. “Keeping our community safe is a top priority at UTC. We now have a sophisticated security solution that enhances our ability to respond to emergencies and another tool to help prevent them in the first place.”

UTC is also installing on-campus safety options like wall-mounted, computer-based, and wearable panic buttons that connect to the central campus security system, the news release reports. On the emergency response end, the system offers real-time situation updates including location details and shared maps. The app also sends incident-specific alerts to the most suitable response teams.

“The Safe@UTC app is a customized security solution designed specifically with the UTC community in mind,” said Chad Salahshour, CEO of 911Cellular. “Keeping students and school staff safe is at the heart of what we do, and it’s our mission to make it easier to act fast, communicate clearly and protect what matters most during an emergency—each other.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.