Penn State taps CriticalArc’s SafeZone for campus safety at Beaver Stadium

Penn State University is rolling out CriticalArc’s SafeZone platform first at Beaver Stadium to improve real-time communication, incident response and responder visibility during football games and other large events. The phased deployment is designed to extend campus safety capabilities across the university’s multiple campuses over time.

Why it matters: - Penn State is using a unified safety platform to connect students, staff, visitors and responders across a university community that enrolled more than 87,000 students in fall 2025. - The deployment is designed to improve situational awareness, speed emergency coordination and support safety at both routine locations and high-pressure events. - The platform is intended to give first responders a clearer operational picture and a simpler way to coordinate assistance.

What happened: - Penn State partnered with CriticalArc to deploy SafeZone®, a critical incident management platform. - The initial rollout centers on Penn State University Police and Public Safety operations at Beaver Stadium. - The first phase supports home football games and other large-scale events. - Penn State plans to expand use of the platform in phases after the initial Beaver Stadium deployment.

The details: - SafeZone connects individuals with security teams and enables real-time incident response coordination. - The initial implementation brings together UPPS, information technology and athletics teams. - SafeZone Command Software and the OmniGuard App will support incoming alerts and response workflows. - The platform also includes live team visualization, indoor positioning, mass and targeted messaging, secure chat, timed check-ins and geofencing. - Penn State said the platform will help strengthen operational awareness, responder safety and timely assistance. - Wes Sheets, Penn State’s associate vice president and chief of police and public safety, said the system provides immediate access to safety resources and connects officers, command staff and the people they serve in a scalable way. - Stephanie Delaney, executive deputy chief of Penn State University Police and Public Safety, said the system gives command staff greater situational awareness by showing responder locations and precise alert information. - Penn State said lessons from the deployment will inform later phases as the university expands the configuration. - The university and CriticalArc will continue refining workflows, integrations and other opportunities to strengthen safety, communication and emergency preparedness. - CriticalArc said more information is available at criticalarc.com or by emailing marketing@criticalarc.com.

Between the lines: - The Beaver Stadium rollout gives Penn State a controlled starting point in one of its most operationally complex environments. - Beginning with game days suggests the university is prioritizing places where crowd size, speed and coordination matter most. - A phased approach lowers implementation risk while allowing Penn State to test workflows before broader expansion. - The partnership also signals a move toward consolidating safety tools instead of relying on separate systems for communication, mapping and response.

What's next: - Penn State and CriticalArc will use the first deployment to refine response processes and identify additional integration opportunities. - The university expects to expand the platform beyond Beaver Stadium in later phases. - Future use could give students, faculty, staff and visitors broader access to safety information, assistance and resources across campus. - The rollout will continue to build Penn State’s safety infrastructure as community needs evolve.