The new Lab Safe app, designed to prioritize student safety and communication, is now available for download on mobile app stores. Customized specifically for the Laboratory Schools, it features age-specific procedures for school-related safety issues.
The app, inspired by the University’s UChicago Safe app, includes these features:
- emergency contacts for the University of Chicago Police as well as an immediate 911 access button
- a “university mobile blue light,” that if pressed, simultaneously calls and sends the phone’s location to the university police when located anywhere within the geographical boundaries of the UCPD patrol area
- a “friend walk” feature that shares the location to a friend and triggers a call to emergency services if needed
- a campus map and access to campus transportation services
For faculty users, the app has additional features.
“The faculty has access to what we call panic buttons,” Brian Canavan, former Lab safety and security director, said. “There’s a couple of menus, there’s a missing student button, a medical emergency button, and operation security, urgent assistance.”
The alert from the panic buttons is sent directly to Lab staff, from the school nurse to the safety and security team.
The app was built for the purpose of speedy mass communication. In order to ensure safety on campus, Mr. Canavan strongly encouraged students to download the app.
“The app has a section in there for emergency protocols,” he said. “It gives very specific instructions for Lab, how to secure children in place during a lockout, and what we expect faculty staff and students to do and to be aware of.”
