Best Practices in Emergency Communications

The May 9th Campus Technology includes "Best Practices in Emergency Communications" by Doug Gale. I think it's important for all of us working at colleges and universities to be aware of what constitute best practices in responding to these tragic situations and recommend this article. Here's a copy/paste that explains how the best practices were determined.

Supported by funding from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Domestic Preparedness to the State of Florida, the University of Central Florida prepared a report on Emergency Communications Systems that provides a comprehensive discussion of the requirements for emergency communications and available solutions. They identify the three requirements for an alert system as:

1. Alert as many people and as quickly as possible in a normal condition
2. Alert as many people and as quickly as possible without power and phone service
3. Constantly deliver alerts to specific groups of people in different locations

Here are some other points made in the article that I found important. These bullets are just some of the key points and as you read it, you will undoubtedly find others. Feel free to comment on this entry.

• 50% of students and faculty would not immediately pick up a ringing phone and thus limiting the effectiveness of reverse 911 strategies.
• there is no single alert system that meets the all the needs of a single campus, let alone the needs of diverse campuses.
• alarm siren systems should only be used for emergencies and should only be tested once a semester.
• cell phones and wireless-capable laptops can be disruptive in a classroom environment, and many instructors ask that they not be turned off during class. Therefore a back-channel system like a siren is needed
• One problem generic to all voluntary systems is participation