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News

Upgraded alert system on tap

Several emergency response measures moved up on priority list 
in wake of Monday's Va. Tech shooting 

by KELSIE HAHN
The Daily Cougar

The UH Emergency Management Team is speeding up several emergency response measures after a shooting Monday at Virginia Tech claimed 33 lives, chairman Dave Irvin said.

"The Virginia Tech incident kind of drove home the importance of all this and gave it renewed urgency," he said.

The team released a statement Tuesday detailing plans already in the works to have an e-mail, voicemail and text messaging emergency system running in June in anticipation of the hurricane season. 

The University will also pursue putting on-campus public announcement and siren systems in place by the beginning of fall classes.

"We have an emergency management team that has been meeting regularly for the last two years, looking at all kinds of scenarios, everything from weather and hurricanes to terrorism and violence to all types of potential problems," Irvin said. "(We are) trying to anticipate how we would respond, make sure we have good policies in place so there aren't delays."

Students, faculty and staff will be able to add contact information into the emergency response database to have alerts sent to voicemail, cell phones, PDAs and e-mail accounts.

Multiple buildings on campus currently have public address systems through the fire alarm system, but there is not a way to send an alert through all the systems simultaneously. An assessment is planned for next week to determine what would be necessary to combine all the systems, Irvin said.

"We plan to move very quickly to get all of those networked," he said. "Our hope is to have that no later than the end of the summer."

The University is also looking into a campuswide siren system to inform students of urgent information, and the team's goal is to have it in place by the end of summer.

"Regardless of what the information was, we'd be able to stay in place, or there's flooding, or whatever the issues were we'd be able to get more detailed information," Irvin said.

Communication senior Courtney John said the University's current system of online notification though the emergency Web site and e-mail is insufficient and should be improved.

"I really don't think that e-mail is an effective way for students to be contacted," she said. "As a (student at a) commuter school, something could happen and you would already be here or on your way. … The University should have a proactive approach to relay quick communication to all the students, faculty and staff."

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