In addition to security measures already in place such as text-message and e-mail alerts, the University is implementing additional procedures and modes of communication to create a safer community more prepared for emergency situations.
Currently, sirens are being installed around Grounds, allowing the University to alert students of emergency situations, Director of Emergency Preparedness Marjorie Sidebottom said. She added that the sirens are intended to prompt students to check their e-mail, cell phones and the University Web site for more information.
The sirens are not yet operational, she said, but they are being placed around Grounds to cover the largest area possible. Proposed locations include North and Central Grounds as well as areas near the stadium, the South Lawn and health centers.
She noted, however, that the sirens, which can be heard 360 degrees around the apparatus, are not designed to alert students to go inside or to explain the specifics of a situation.
“The siren itself, if you hear it, should tell you to look at your text messaging and e-mail,” Sidebottom said, adding that the University Web site, as well as the LCD screens in Newcomb Hall, will also provide up-to-date information.
To ensure efficiency, several tests will be done once the sirens have been installed to see if there is a large enough range, Sidebottom said. Students will be informed before any tests take place, she said.
Looking into the best ways to communicate with students, the Office of Emergency Preparedness also recently has considered using instant messaging as well as Facebook.
Prof. Ben Shneiderman from the University of Maryland, College Park is familiar with using social networking sites as emergency communication tools.
An article he wrote in February 2007, just months before the shootings at Virginia Tech, led to discussion about emergency communication online, he said. The University of Maryland at College Park now has a Facebook group dedicated to emergency awareness, he added.
In addition to considering how various technologies could help to create a safer atmosphere on Grounds, University officials and students are also working with first-year and transfer students to help acclimate them to their environment and inform them of University procedures in the event of an emergency situation.
New students received a binder at orientation from Hoos Ready, a student-led safety awareness group, with “almost every phone number or link for emergency or safety information,” Sidebottom said.
A procedures page, designed so new students and guests can accurately convey their location to the necessary professionals in case of emergency, was also posted in dormitories and will be placed around Grounds, she added.
Incoming students were also told to inform their parents how to correctly respond in the event of an emergency, Sidebottom said, noting that parents should try to use e-mail and avoid calling the University in the case of an emergency so phone lines are not tied up.
Further safety measures recently added around Grounds include a GPS system for University buses, which Sidebottom said allows students alone or in small groups to avoid waiting outside for extended periods of time. Crosswalks with lights have also been added.
Sidebottom noted that there are always ways to improve emergency preparedness, and a majority of the ideas for improvements come from student input.
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