Spring Break
Eastern installs emergency alert systems
Marcus Day
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: News
Following the shooting at Virginia Tech in April, many schools across the country are pumping up their security and communication systems to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again.
For Eastern University and many other colleges the answer lies with e2campus, a mass notification system that enables a non-technical administrator to communicate time-sensitive information to the entire community at once.
According to Bettie Ann Brigham, vice president of student development, the administration considered notifying students of emergencies via campus phones or the internet, but decided that those solutions would not have been timely enough. The e2campus program seemed to be the perfect choice.
Essentially, students will be given a link to a website where they can use their email address and cell phone number to register for the program. If an emergency ever occurs, any student, parents or faculty who have registered will immediately receive a mass text message warning them of any danger and actions that they should take.
The company guarantees that all personal information will remain private and inaccessible at all times.
When asked how students will receive alerts while in classes where teachers do not allow cell phones to remain on, Brigham had a ready response. "A solution to that problem would be to ask the class to keep their phones on vibrate or ask one student to keep their phone on and then notify the teacher when there is an emergency," she said. "After the threat has been resolved, a brief message will be sent to the students again."
To back up its new text-alert program, Eastern is also planning to install a siren in case something should cause the alert program from getting through to the students. During an emergency, the siren will be loud enough to be heard across the entire campus so that everyone will know to take cover.
With so much technology being used, students may wonder how much all of this will cost. According to Brigham, it should only cost approximately a dollar a person per year.
Many students are just glad to have such a program around. First-year, Justin Ostrander is one of them. "It sounds like a good and efficient way of informing others when an emergency happens," Ostrander said. "It's great to know first-hand what precautions to take."
"Our prayer is that when we purchase this and get it into play we will never have to use it." said Brigham.
For Eastern University and many other colleges the answer lies with e2campus, a mass notification system that enables a non-technical administrator to communicate time-sensitive information to the entire community at once.
According to Bettie Ann Brigham, vice president of student development, the administration considered notifying students of emergencies via campus phones or the internet, but decided that those solutions would not have been timely enough. The e2campus program seemed to be the perfect choice.
Essentially, students will be given a link to a website where they can use their email address and cell phone number to register for the program. If an emergency ever occurs, any student, parents or faculty who have registered will immediately receive a mass text message warning them of any danger and actions that they should take.
The company guarantees that all personal information will remain private and inaccessible at all times.
When asked how students will receive alerts while in classes where teachers do not allow cell phones to remain on, Brigham had a ready response. "A solution to that problem would be to ask the class to keep their phones on vibrate or ask one student to keep their phone on and then notify the teacher when there is an emergency," she said. "After the threat has been resolved, a brief message will be sent to the students again."
To back up its new text-alert program, Eastern is also planning to install a siren in case something should cause the alert program from getting through to the students. During an emergency, the siren will be loud enough to be heard across the entire campus so that everyone will know to take cover.
With so much technology being used, students may wonder how much all of this will cost. According to Brigham, it should only cost approximately a dollar a person per year.
Many students are just glad to have such a program around. First-year, Justin Ostrander is one of them. "It sounds like a good and efficient way of informing others when an emergency happens," Ostrander said. "It's great to know first-hand what precautions to take."
"Our prayer is that when we purchase this and get it into play we will never have to use it." said Brigham.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 30
C Day
posted 9/12/07 @ 4:41 PM EST
A wonderful article and a much needed solution to a real problem. Praise God for the efforts of all to keep our students and staff safe. GREAT JOB!!!
K Wills-Henry
posted 9/12/07 @ 5:00 PM EST
An excellent and informative article. Thanks and keep up the good work.
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posted 1/04/09 @ 6:05 AM EST
To be completely honest, its about time. How many people needed to die before such a solution was implemented?
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posted 1/16/09 @ 3:14 AM EST
It is such a waste when people die and you know that it could have been easily prevented.
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posted 1/23/09 @ 12:51 AM EST
They say that hindsight is always 20/20 but one does wonder why do tragedies always have to happen first before common sense.
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posted 1/25/09 @ 2:12 AM EST
I think's its a combination of complacency and laziness that these things are allowed to happen.
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posted 1/27/09 @ 3:03 AM EST
Security is the only thing that concerns me in this world right now.
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posted 1/29/09 @ 1:00 PM EST
It's about time!!
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posted 1/30/09 @ 12:29 AM EST
This is a good move...as they say, better late than never.
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posted 2/01/09 @ 3:28 AM EST
It's great to see such positive steps being taken to ensure better communication and ultimately better safety. Sometimes we tend to take things for granted. (Continued…)
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