Today, technology plays a pivotal role in emergency alert systems. An effective system uses existing data and voice networks to deliver pre-recorded or live messages to alert the community of emergencies and give residents instructions, such as evacuating a building or going to pre-assigned shelters.
Comprehensive emergency alert systems enable administrators and campus safety personnel to immediately contact every member of the community through phone calls, text messages, instant messages, eMail, and other alerts on the following devices:
- Internet Protocol-based (IP) phones
- Analog and digital phones
- Desktop and notebook computers
- Mobile and smart phones
- Fax machines and pagers
In addition, these systems can broadcast messages throughout the campus, indoors and outdoors, through:
- Loudspeakers and paging systems
- Digital signage, such as LCD or plasma screens in buildings and throughout campus
- Sirens or alarms
Institutions also might want to consider video surveillance cameras to enhance a mass-notification system. Video cameras can work as a standalone system separate from a mass-notification system, but linking the two systems has its benefits. For example, some camera systems offer add-on technology that analyzes sounds and video, and notifies campus police if it detects gunshots or other dangerous activity.
A call to action
Based on the survey results and its work with higher-education institutions, CDW-G recommends that higher-ed administrators consider the following to improve participation in emergency alert programs:
- Register at orientation: Institutions should promote emergency alert systems aggressively to students and parents during orientation (for freshmen and new students) and move-in days (for upperclassmen) to move closer to full campus participation.
- Recruit the professors: Faculty are key to ensuring the entire campus is aware of and participates in an institution’s emergency alert system. Administrators should reach out to faculty specifically and encourage them to promote participation with their students.
- Apply parental pressure: Consider how the institution will transmit information to parents during a crisis. Enable parents to sign up for alerts, which can result in higher student participation.
- Market aggressively: Institutions should regularly review their alert systems and enhance their outreach programs to encourage greater participation in the community.
In an emergency situation, where time is of the essence, institutions need to deliver critical information to students, faculty, and staff.
By harnessing a full range of traditional and newer communication options, institutions have the ability to reach the community immediately with critical information wherever they are.
Houston Thomas is the public safety business development manager for CDW Government Inc.
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