Emergency Notification Systems

This presentation will explore the challenges that UNC–Wilmington encountered in providing for the broadcast and communication of emergency notification alerts to the at-large campus community. A "layered approach" was adopted by using multiple methods of information delivery to maximize effectiveness and eliminate the reliance on any single technology or delivery system. Since the methods of delivery can be diverse (siren, cable broadcast, Internet, and e-messaging), several departments including information technology, marketing and communications, environmental health and safety, and the university police were involved to create this well-rounded solution.

Whether used for emergency notification or campus outreach, a quick and reliable mass notification service is a requisite for every university campus. Although choosing a mass notification system can be a daunting task, industry standards can help your campus leaders choose the right system for their needs. Whether your institution seeks a mass notification service for emergency use or to help with student enrollment and retention, this session will help you and your technology team lead your campus through the process of deciding which system to purchase. You’ll learn the industry standards and speak with other campuses that have gone through the mass notification selection process.

LSU will report on the results of a test of its emergency text-messaging system and offer lessons learned. This session will examine the strengths and weaknesses of text messaging as part of an emergency notification package and provide insight into managing community expectations regarding emergency notifications.

The popularity of SMS messaging among the college-age demographic, as well as its perceived speed of delivery and ease of use, have led some campus planners to view SMS messaging as the superstar player in an emergency notification strategy. But rapid is not the same as reliable, and ease of use doesn’t equate with robust.

The University of California, Davis hosted this event to provide a forum for the University of California community involved in emergency planning and management to share ideas, plans, challenges and accomplishments related to developing, implementing and managing campus emergency notification systems. The web site includes presentations from the symposium.

Emergency communications systems are no longer an optional service. Many campuses are exploring how information technologies might play a critical role in creating and managing these campus-wide systems for emergency and other communications. Who must be involved in the planning and management of these systems? What policies are needed? What is happening on your campus? Share your experiences and questions with your colleagues as together we sketch out a roadmap to providing this important service.

Emergency notification systems are no longer an optional service. Many campuses are exploring how information technologies might play a critical role in creating and maintaining campus-wide notification systems for emergency and other communications. Who makes the decisions? Who decides the policies for their use? Who buys off-the-shelf systems and who creates their own? Three different campuses will share their experiences and lessons learned. Bring your experiences, thoughts, and questions to this valuable conversation.

Wesleyan University and Tufts University implemented emergency notification technology to alert students, faculty, staff, and parents of campus-wide emergencies. Wesleyan purchased Connect-ED in December 2006 and Tufts purchased Send Word Now in August 2007. This presentation will focus on what we learned during implementation and campus-wide tests. We’ll cover the technology’s limitations and discussion future enhancements.

(Wally) Czerniak was attending a conference in Arizona where he was learning, among other things, about emergency-notification systems that can send text messages to cellphones - a method that a growing number of colleges have set up since the shootings last spring at Virginia Tech. But Mr. Czerniak still isn't sure whether such a system would have done much good in keeping people on campus updated as the crisis unfolded if it had been in place at Northern Illinois.

When an incident requiring emergency communications evolves on campus there must be multiple levels to a response. Furthermore, the response required transcends the question of adequate emergency communications technologies and systems. Key advance preparation items include ensuring that the correct technological services have been deployed, that personnel have proper training, and that planning is in place so that appropriate internal and external agencies all work together in concert to address and resolve the incident as effectively as possible. The panel will discuss emergency communications management, including technologies and systems, and planning needs for all of the relevant areas.