Emergency Notification Systems, crisis situations, and Emergency Preparedness Plans

This forty-minute podcast features a session recorded at the EDUCAUSE 2008 Annual Conference. The speech, "Crisis Communications: The Virginia Tech Response," is by Larry Hincker, Associate Vice President for University Relations at Virginia Tech.
Video for this session is also available.

Liberally paraphrasing the great American war general Dwight Eisenhower, in war, planning is everything; in battle, plans go out the window. Effective crisis communications demand significant planning. Once you’re in a crisis event, instinctive reaction and reliance on experience take over. This session will help listeners understand Virginia Tech’s crisis communications response to a tragedy for which no one can prepare.

The following summary is from http://oja.wi.gov/section.asp?linkid=1147&locid=97:

The Governor's Task Force on Campus Safety is focused on ensuring the safety of college campuses across Wisconsin. At the direction of Governor Jim Doyle, the Task Force is reviewing and compiling criteria for developing best practices from universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions in Wisconsin and across the nation. This information will be submitted to the governor and will serve as a resource for college administrators, law enforcement officers, and emergency preparedness officials.

The Task Force delivered an Interim Report to Governor Doyle on August 15. A final report will be published on November 1st.   

In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, colleges and universities across the country are reviewing their emergency preparedness plans and evaluating their ability to quickly notify constituents in crisis situations. Networked technologies (posting notices on Web sites, e-mailing information, and sending text messages to cell phones) are among the most promising solutions. As campuses explore options for their emergency communication plan, they must also consider infrastructure and policy and procedural components.

In this free May 3 EDUCAUSE Live! Web seminar, Emergency Notification Systems for a Mobile Community, Rodney J. Petersen, Government Relations Officer and Security Task Force Coordinator, EDUCAUSE, and Mark Katsouros, Director, Telecommunication and Network Services, The University of Iowa, will provide an overview of the strategies for emergency notifications of students, employees, and visitors, as well as a context and resources for campus emergency preparedness planning.