FAQs

What is the UNCW Alert Safety App?

The UNCW Alert Safety app is a free mobile app provided in partnership with the UNCW Police Department (UPD). The UNCW Alert app is on the SafeZone platform, which allows students and staff to access real-time communication with UPD in the event of an emergency. Utilizing location sharing only when you need assistance, the UNCW Alert app enables quick and effective support. The UNCW Alert app is also used to share notifications about threatening weather, building or campus closures, and other emergencies that may occur.   

The safety app includes many important features to help you enhance your personal safety while supporting the overall security of the UNCW campus. 

The app’s core functions include: 

• Emergency - In an emergency, the app allows you to quickly share your location and details with the local response team who will get the right assistance to you.
• First Aid – First aid resources are available at the touch of a button, offering the option to be routed directly to UPD or 911 resources, depending on the scenario.  
• Help – Should you feel guidance could be of benefit and the present situation doesn’t fall under Emergency or First Aid categorizations.
• Well-Being – Our Well-Being button points to the resources relevant to the individual in need, irrespective of time of day or location.
• Tip Reporting - Submit non-urgent concerns via tips directly to the right people. Attach a photo and send anonymously if you choose.
• Emergency Notifications - Notify you in the event of an emergency on campus.
• Check-in Timer - If working alone, or feeling vulnerable, the UNCW Alert app through SafeZone has a check-in and check-in timer feature which allows you to share your location with security responders. When using the timer, an alert is automatically sent on your behalf if you fail to extend or cancel it. This is ideal if you are in areas of increased risk and want additional peace of mind.

When a crisis occurs, response time is of critical importance as seconds can change outcomes. the safety app allows you nearly instant communications with UPD in the event of an emergency, typically cutting response time to incidents in half, on average.  When the Emergency button is used to call 911 or UPD, location services help emergency personnel find your location. 

Why Do I Need to Fill out a User Profile after Downloading SafeZone? 

Filling out the user profile will help UPD contact you if additional information is needed after you submit a tip. It is also helpful in emergency situations if you lose connection with UPD or if your identity is needed because you are in distress. If you use the Emergency, First Aid, or Help buttons, UPD will have immediate access to your name and contact information. 

Why Do I Need to Share My Location with the safety app? 

The UNCW Alert app must access your location in order to allow you to raise alerts, check in or use a check-in timer. Note that your location is only shared when you raise an alert, check in or use the check-in timer. Even then, your location is only shared with your organization’s team of professional responders. Your right to privacy is always respected and you can cancel any alert or check-in at any time. We recommend this is set to “Always Allow Access” on location as this allows the app to run in the background while you’re checked-in or using a check-in timer. 

Do I Need to Enable Location Services for the UNCW Alert app to Work? 

You can still use tip reporting without location services enabled, however, you cannot check in, use the check-in timer, or press the Help, First Aid, or Emergency buttons unless Location Sharing is enabled. For UPD to reach you in an emergency, location services must be enabled. This is why it is recommended to always enabling location sharing. 

Why Would I Want to Set Location Sharing to "Always"? 

By always allowing access to location, you can check-in and then continue to use your phone as normal, minimizing the UNCW Alert app to the background and making calls, sending mail, using the internet and other apps. If “only while using” is selected, this is not possible and the app would have to remain in the foreground. This causes additional battery-drain and stops your phone from being effective. 

NOTE: Always allowing access does not mean your location is always shared with responders. Your location only leaves your mobile device when you actively raise an alert, check in or use a check-in timer 

If I Set My Location Settings to "Always", Does That Drain My Battery? 

The safety app has a number of features designed to optimize battery usage. 

Motion and activity detection limits the amount of location polling which is carried out (if allowed in your device’s permissions) 

The app can have different location profile settings, ‘default’ is recommended here for most users.  To change these on an iPhone, find SafeZone in the iOS Settings menu and look for Location Profile at the bottom of the page. On an Android device, this can be changed within the SafeZone app by going to the three lines main menu at the top left of the screen, tapping on Settings then selecting the Location Profile. 

Also, remember to move SafeZone to the background once checked-in or when not being used. 

Should I Enable WiFi? 

Yes, Enabling WiFi when available improves the accuracy of your location, so it is highly recommended. The location service uses a combination of cell-network, WiFi and GPS positioning. Not only is your location most accurately determined when you have “WiFi Enabled”, but your data connectivity (which is needed for SafeZone to run), will likely be more stable with WIFI enabled. 

What Notifications Will I Receive If I Enable Push Notifications? 

Push notifications will originate from UNCW to communicate real-time safety and security­-related information. In an emergency or major event UNCW may need to send you ‘Alerts’ through push notifications. These notifications may contain: 

• Information or instructions (in the case of emergencies), or
• links to websites for further information
• A request to check-in

A Check-in request would be sent so that response teams know your location and can send appropriate follow-up messages based upon it (for example instructions to evacuate, lockdown or go to an area). It also allows the organization to coordinate its response assets getting them to the right areas. 

What Happens If I Decide Not to Subscribe? Will I Still Receive a Broadcast? 

Yes, even if you do not have the app, students, faculty and staff will receive UNCW Alerts via cell phones and via email. 

Will the UNCW Alert app alert Me to Weather Emergencies? 

Yes, UNCW will be utilizing UNCW Alert app to communicate imminent weather which may threaten campus.   

After I Submit a Tip, Will I Be Prompted to Chat with UPD. Do I Have to Chat with Them? 

No, you will not be prompted to chat with UPD and do not have to chat with UPD. If you reported a tip UPD may follow up with you for more information by calling your number listed in your UNCW Alert app profile, however, if you submitted the tip anonymously then they will not be able to follow up with you. 

What If I Submit a Tip That Turns Out to Be a Mistake? 

You are encouraged to share information with UPD and will not be penalized for making claims that turn out to be untrue. However, those filing reports that are purposefully false may be sanctioned appropriately by the university or subject to criminal charges

When I Send a Tip Via "Tip Reporting,” Is My Location Shared? 

When you submit a tip through Tip Reporting, your current location is submitted should you wish (you can toggle this off), or you can tap the map when submitting the tip to change the location. For example, if you’re reporting an incident which happened while you were at a different location to where you are when submitting the tip. If you send a tip and then continue moving, police will only be able to see the location from which the tip was sent. If you do not have location services enabled, no location will be shared with the tip, although you can select the location on the map. 

Is the Anonymous Feature Really Anonymous? 

Yes, if you toggle the “Send Anonymously” option when submitting a tip, your user information will show up as “Anonymous” in all the fields. 

What Happens When I Select "Call 911" From the Emergency Button? 

When you select the “Call 911” button from the Emergency Options screen, a confirmation bubble will appear with the option to either “Call” or “Cancel”. This will help ensure that users do not accidentally call 911 if it is not an emergency. Once you place the call to 911, safety officials at UNCW will receive information about your call such as your location (if location services are turned on). This will help first responders reach you quicker in the event of an emergency. 

If I Call 911 While in a Building, How Will the Responding Emergency Personnel Know Where to Go? 

When emergency calls or messages are initiated through the app, location sharing begins. Security personnel will receive a prompt letting them know that a call was placed to 911. UPD has the ability to send you a chat to ask further questions and confirm your location. UPD can then meet emergency personnel upon arrival and direct them to your location. This will assist in getting you the help you need in the event of an emergency. 

How Does the App Know the Location of the User and the Emergency Number to Call? 

Based on users’ locations when they have location services on, emergency options automatically populate with local emergency numbers. 

When Making an Emergency Call, What Happens if a User Has Little to No Mobile Connection? 

The app will default to the last known location. From there, it will attempt to load the emergency number associated with that location. 

If I Download the UNCW Alert app, Can UPD, other Campus Personnel or My Parents/Guardians See My Location Whenever They Choose? 

No. Your location is only sent to UPD when you raise an alert requesting assistance, check-in, or send a report with “Share location” toggled on. If your location information is sent to the university, it is encrypted and no one, including UNCW faculty and staff, will see individual names if you choose to be anonymous, but the dashboard will show UPD where a tip came from. App users always have the option to not share their location. 

Can My Location Be Revealed by UNCW Alert app When I Have Not Activated the Emergency or Tip Button? 

No, the UNCW Alert app users cannot be located via the web dashboard unless they have checked in, are using a check-in timer or have raised an alert which is still active. The location data from your phone is encrypted, and location sharing is always at the user's discretion. 

No, you will not since the app will not be able to find your location. However, if UNCW has a community that you can join when traveling, you may be directed to join that community. 

What Do I Do If I Have Technical Difficulties with the App? 

Under the left side menu, there is a button for support. Here there are a few Technical Support links and an option to email our Technical Support Team (support@criticalarc.com).  

How Do I Unsubscribe From the UNCW Alert app? 

If you would like to unsubscribe, please contact police@uncw.edu.