
Fostering a Safe Campus Community
To maintain a safe campus, all members of the campus community are encouraged to download and use both UCSafety and the UCalgary Alertus Emergency App. They are two distinct apps that provide different services and safety tools. Only mass notifications will be an integrated feature shared between the two. When used together they can prevent injury and save lives. The apps help to foster a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students, faculty and staff.

Download the UCalgary Alertus Emergency App
How to download the Alertus App:
- Download the Alertus App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Open app and allow notifications
- Use the download instructions below to enter the organization code and pin number
- Enter your UCalgary email address and select "Register"
- Confirm your account by email
Remember to enable notifications as you login to receive alerts or in settings
See the Alertus Emergency Alert Install Guide for more details
For download instructions for UCalgary guests, which include vendors, tenants and contractors, email the Emergency Management Team at emergencymgmt@ucalgary.ca.

Download the UCSafety App
How to download the UCSafety App:
- Download the UCSafety App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Login using UCalgary credentials
- Check your phone settings and ensure your notifications are enabled, ringer is turned up, a connection to broadband (3G, 4G, LTE or Wi-Fi) and "Do not disturb" feature is turned off
- Add these contacts to your phones contact list
- UCalgary Campus Security 403-220-5333
- Text notifications will be sent via UCSafety Work Alone Notification 1-888-519-4933
- Notifications for missed check-in or emergency will be sent via Telelink Notification 1-833-724-9211
Please ensure your Supervisor/Designated Contact has added these numbers as well as your name and contact number to their contact list.
See the UCSafety App & Work Alone Quick Reference Guide for more details
These two apps fall under the Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources and Information Policy. Registered/authorized users found to be abusing the incident reporting or panic features will be investigated. Consequences of mischief, abuse, misuse or accidental false reporting may result in disciplinary action and the removal of registration and access to these apps.
UCSafety Services and Resources
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WorkAlone capabilities including regular check-ins with reminders
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24/7 monitoring service TeleLink can escalate missed check-ins to supervisors or a designated point of contact for wellness checks if needed. Campus Security can also be engaged if the supervisor is unable to make contact with their worker.
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FriendWalk for individuals to share their location with friends/contacts
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Staff and student wellness resources
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EHS Standards and Training information
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Emergency Response Procedures
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Campus maps
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Ability to report injuries, security concerns
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Ability to report building/grounds hazards
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Send mass notifications to devices during emergencies (integrated with the UCalgary Alertus Emergency App)
UCalgary Alertus Emergency App Features
UCalgary Alertus Emergency App has a number of features within the app to help keep students, faculty and staff safe on campus.
- Sends mass notifications to mobile and UCalgary-managed desktop and laptop devices during emergencies. Learn more about Alertus monthly testing and past mass notifications here.
- Report incidents: including fire, medical emergencies, suspicious person or an active shooter at the touch of a button. For imminent, life-threatening situations, call 911.
- Contact button: helps you reach Campus Security by telephone quickly and easily.
- Alerts: will keep you up-to-date on incidents. Notifications will advise you when new alerts are posted.
- Ability to discreetly request help on campus if you are feeling uncomfortable and do not want to draw attention to yourself.
Alertus is UCalgary’s primary emergency communications tool, where you can receive up-to-date information during emergency events. We recommend students, faculty, staff, tenants, and vendors to download the app to maintain your safety while on campus.

The FriendWalk Feature
The FriendWalk feature can be used by individuals to send their location and destination to a personal contact in real time so their travel can be monitored.
See the UCSafety App & Friend Walk Feature Quick Reference Guide to see more details on how to use the feature found in the app
Important tips for using the apps
Working Alone Standard
UCalgary has an updated Working Alone Standard based on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation. This standard requires supervisors to work with their employees who work alone to develop a written Work Alone Plan that includes an effective means of communicating with their point of contact in the case of an emergency. Employees must be able to check-in at regular intervals to verify their safety.
UCalgary’s new online Work Alone Plan, and working-alone app, UCSafety have replaced the old forms, making the process safer and more efficient. Having a plan for working alone that includes regular safety check-ins on the app will give you peace of mind since if you miss a check-in, our 24/7 monitoring company Telelink will be notified. If they are unable to reach you, they will contact your manager, supervisor or designated point of contact who will do a wellness check if needed. Campus Security can also be engaged if the designated contact person is unable to make contact.
UCalgary’s Working Alone Standard applies on and off campus and the UCSafety app can be used anywhere there is cellular or Wi-Fi service. It is, therefore, the recommended tool for check-ins and will replace the online forms used in current working alone plans. Please complete the online Work Alone Plan with your manager/supervisor before working alone. If the App can’t be used, a consultation with EHS is required to identify an equivalent process.
Who is considered working alone?
A person is working alone at a work site where assistance, in the event of an injury, illness or emergency is not readily available. All employees, regardless of the type or location of work, are encouraged to download and use the UCSafety app.
UCSafety App FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about the UCSafety App, as well as questions regarding the WorkAlone feature and/or StudyAlone feature in the app
WorkAlone is a feature in the UCSafety app, which provides individuals working alone on campus (with consistent cellular service), the ability to regularly check-in and if required, trigger an emergency response.
WorkAlone is meant to be used by graduate students, faculty, post-doctoral fellows and employees.
For more information about this feature and how to use it, view the WorkAlone Quick Reference Guide.
StudyAlone is a feature in the UCSafety app, which provides students alone on campus, the option to regularly check-in with a personal contact, and if required, trigger an emergency response.
For more information about this feature and how to use it, view the StudyAlone Quick Reference Guide.
Yes, if/when you have consistent cellular or Wi-Fi service.
The UC needs to know who to contact in an emergency if you are ill or injured. This person should be able to provide personal medical details as needed in case of an emergency.
Your emergency contact may be temporarily unavailable due to vacation or illness, etc. Please ensure your emergency contact information is reviewed and updated for each WorkAlone session.
No, once a frequency is chosen for a WorkAlone session, it cannot be changed.
To change your check-in frequency, you will have to end your session and restart another. For more information, refer to the WorkAlone Quick Reference Guide.
WorkAlone: If you have not responded within 5 minutes of your check in time during a WorkAlone session, the 24/7 monitoring service, Telelink, will try to contact you and your Supervisor/Designated Contact will be contacted to perform a wellness check. Based on the situation, Campus Security will be notified if any emergency response is required.
StudyAlone: If you have not responded within 5 minutes of your check in time during a StudyAlone session, the UCSafety app will notify your emergency contact to do a wellness check. Based on the situation, your emergency contact can initiate an emergency response on your behalf.
No. You can edit this information each time you start a new WorkAlone or StudyAline session. Remember to change it prior to starting a new session, in case your contact is out of town, unavailable, etc.
WorkAlone: Clicking Emergency contacts our 24/7 monitoring service, Telelink. Telelink will try to contact you to verify your health and safety. If Telelink is unable to reach you, a message will be sent to your supervisor/designated contact person requesting they do a wellness check with you.
StudyAlone: Clicking Emergency contacts your personal emergency contact and sends them a message requesting they do a wellness check with you.
When you are contacted, be honest about the error so that they know you are okay.
You may go back to the check in page and click on “check in” to re-instate your WorkAlone or StudyAlone session, or click on “cancel” to cancel your session to stop further escalation by Telelink.
If an individual forgets to finish their WorkAlone session, this means they forgot their last check-in.
If you do not complete your check-in within 5 minutes of your notification, the escalation process is initiated.
Telelink will be monitoring all active WorkAlone sessions 24/7. Telelink will receive an automatic recording indicating you did not check in. *Costs incurred due to Telelink’s involvement with missed check-ins may be charged back to the department*
The app does not track a worker’s location. Campus security is only aware of the worker’s location based on the location details provided when a worker begins a WorkAlone session. (i.e., Campus, building name, room number, other important location details).
Unfortunately, due to the personal information required to use the WorkAlone feature, only personally owned or UCalgary cellular phones assigned to individuals can be used.
Provide a detailed description of your location(s) in the “Other important details” section.
First, specify the building where the worker will begin their WorkAlone session.
Next, under “Other important details,” outline all other areas/buildings where the worker will be moving to. Provide a rough estimate (where possible) regarding where the worker will be during the beginning, middle and end of the WorkAlone session.
Alternatively, you can start a new session each time you change locations.
No, the app is only intended for use by individual with a UC username.
On the main app landing page, you will notice an orange bar across the top of the screen that says, “WorkAlone Session in Progress”.
Some locations may have poor Wi-Fi signal (such as basements). This may decrease the timliness of notifications.
No. All supervisors, lone workers and personal contact numbers must be cell phone numbers and not landlines.
After a few months of inactivity, Android users will need to go back to their configuration settings and re-subscribe for notifications.
Please navigate to About/Preferences > Notification Settings > Trouble receiving notifications? Tap here to launch our troubleshooter.
This will reset your Push Token and send a Push Notification to your phone to ensure that they are working.
If you do not receive a Push Notification after following these steps, please reach out to support@apparmor.com.
UCalgary Alertus Emergency App FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the UCalgary Alertus Emergency App.
You must enable push notifications to receive real-time alerts in the event of an emergency. Please enable push notifications as you login, or in your settings under “Apps”, to allow the university to send you alerts in the event of an emergency on campus.
If you work on campus as a tenant, vendor, or contractor, contact the Emergency Management team at emergencymgmt@ucalgary.ca for specific download instructions. When contacting Emergency Management, please include where you work and what team you are part of so that you get the appropriate alerts for your area.
The UCalgary Alertus Emergency App is an important tool to help keep you safe in the event of an emergency affecting the University of Calgary by sending you timely notifications that can save lives and prevent injuries. The app is part of the university’s emergency management plan and a big part of creating a safe and healthy living and learning environment for everyone on campus. Get the information you need quickly and easily in case of an emergency situation.
Students, faculty and staff should follow the download instructions available above.
Enabling location services in the app and completing your profile helps Campus Security reach you in an emergency. However, it is your decision to enable it.
Under Settings, you can update your profile to include more information, like your full name and phone number. You can enable location services when you login for the first time or by managing your app permissions in your device settings. This information is not used to track app users – it’s simply to help individuals in the case of an emergency.
You may have simply uninstalled the app unintentionally. Use the download instructions above to install the app on your mobile device again. If you are an iOS user, you may have enabled the “Offload App” feature in your settings. If so, it may essentially be inactive – try finding the icon and tapping on it then waiting for the automatic download to complete.
On the first Wednesday of every month at 11:55 a.m., Emergency Management tests the app to ensure alerts are working. This is to ensure, in the case of an emergency, we are ready to alert the campus community.
For more information, visit the Alertus Monthly Testing webpage
If you do not receive the verification email, check your junk or clutter folders. If you still don't see the message, it is possible the message is being quarantined. If the message is being quarantined, you must "release" it.
If your app and notifications are set up properly but are still not receiving notifications, go into the app settings and press the "Send Test Alert" button. If you don't get a push alert, un-register/re-register or re-install the app.
Contact the Emergency Management team at emergencymgmt@ucalgary.ca
Additional Resources
- Working Alone - Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)

Safewalk
Campus Security offers Safewalk, a free service for students, staff, and visitors. Safewalk is in the Campus Security office. On duty Safewalk staff can be found on campus. Safewalk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. The Safewalk service is free and available to students, staff, and visitors on the university campus.
Call 403.220.5333 and two experienced Safewalkers will be dispatched to walk along with you.
Safewalks are done in male/female pairs and will walk anywhere on campus (including McMahon Stadium, Health Sciences, Student Family Housing, and the Alberta Children's Hospital). Safewalk also walks with clients to their cars, their residence rooms, the LRT, and bus. Learn more CTA.