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CollegeSafetyNet News and Media Coverage
Centre College School Newspaper "The Cento" Story Featuring College Safety Net
New alert system warns students, through cellular phone messages
New alert system warns students, through cellular phone messages
BY COURTNEY SIDWELL
Since Virginia
Tech this past spring, schools and colleges across the nation have
investigated new forms of emer¬gency alert systems. Soon, Centre will have its Own alert system, pos¬sibly before Thanksgiving break.
The system will work as a type of reverse-911. It will be used to communicate quickly and effi¬ciently with the entire campus community via cell phones. Al¬though the Department of Public Safety (DPS ,vill still use e-mail alerts, an emergency service will also send voice and text messages to the cell phones of students, faculty and staff. Voice messages not received in a call will be saved as voice mail
The notification messages will be sent in the case of emer¬gencies; as lie 11 as to inform the campus "hen an emergency has
ended and it is safe to resume normal activity.
Director of Public Safety Gary Bugg said, "We are really excited about the ability to communi¬cate with the entire campus." In the past, the Department's only methods of warning were e-mail notifications and dependence on time-consuming phone trees.
"By really focusing on cell phones, we'll be able to catch people wherever they are," said Kevin Milby, director of public safety, citing this as one of the chief advantages of the system. An additional advantage lies with the comprehensive reach of the system in its ability to notify the .entire campus community.
DPS and Randy Hays, vice president and dean of student life, stressed that although they will have a database accessing student and faculty cell phone numbers, they will never give out that information or use it in any other situation than a true emer-
gency. Confidentiality agreements were signed by the college and a contracted company as a part of the deal.
An ad-hoc committee with strong support from Information Technology Services looked into several kinds of alert systems from various companies.
CollegeSafe¬tyNet, the company selected by the college, has close connections to Centre. Not only is it owned by an alumnus, but a company man¬ager is also the parent of a former Centre student. Close ties such as these were part of the reason the company contacted Centre dur¬ing the college's investigations into this notification system.
According to Hays, the type of system the college will be insti¬tuting has been used in the past as a method of advertisement, informing the campus of events and alumni activities. However,
Alert system
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the college has decided to make use of this system only in a true emergency, such as a tornado or other severe weather, fire or a shooting on campus.
Currently, the process is in
a data-gathering stage follow¬ing the signing of the contract. For several years now, cell phone numbers have been collected on student data sheets. Gathering the information for faculty and staff members may be more dif-ficult, both Hays and the direc¬tors the public safety agree. Milby said, "If they don't sign up, they
can't complain about the lack of notification."
In addition to the student
cell phone notifications, the col¬lege is still looking into alert si¬rens to notify those on campus to look to their phones or e-mail accounts for further information. The sirens may be located either outside or only within the class¬room buildings. This would allow students and professors in class to receive the warnings without the interruptions that would be caused by cell phones in class.
The emergency alerts systems are "one of those services you pay for but hope you never have to
use," Hays said.
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