KSC to implement new alert system

Universities across New Hampshire are adapting new systems to reach out to the campus community during an emergency. Keene State College has joined the City Watch Emergency Notification System (ENS), where those enrolled will receive a message through text, e-mail or telephone of their choosing.

As posted on the MyKSC bulletin page, messages will be sent "when a situation exists that presents an imminent danger to the campus. An "imminent danger" is one that threatens the immediate safety of the campus community, is not anticipated, and failure to provide such a warning may result in serious harm."

Some examples of such emergencies are listed on the bulletin. These include "large scale chemical or hazardous material spill, an armed and actively violent person or a tornado. Messages will not be used unless the situation is determined to be imminent and requires immediate action."

The MyKSC posting for the ENS, with links to sign up, has been a high priority listing since Monday, Feb. 11. Director of Campus Safety Amanda Warman said as of Feb. 19, about 500 students, faulty, and staff have signed up. While this may be a low percentage of the campus community, Warman said she believes more students will get onboard once they receive the informative e-mail, which wasn't sent out until that day.

"It was a challenge to use as many avenues as possible to let people know about the system," said Warman.

Senior Meredith Johnson said she checks her e-mails about 20 times per day. She said she goes straight to e-mail unless something has happened on campus and she wants to find out more. Then she looks to the MyKSC announcements page.

Johnson is moving off-campus in two weeks, but once she is settled she plans on signing up for the ENS message with her new address. She said she thinks the system will work well for her, especially because her boyfriend is her emergency contact person.

Joshua Starkey on the other hand deleted the e-mail from Campus Safety. "I thought it was junk mail," he said. "I get a number of e-mails a day and I don't normally get e-mails from them."

Starkey also lives off campus and said he doesn't see the need to be contacted in the event of an emergency. He said he spends about ten hours a day on campus between class and working.

Starkey said an emergency message would just draw curious students to the scene.

"The system may work on a small scale, but curiosity would get the most of people and draw a crowd, more than get them away from danger," he said.

Warman said she believes the ENS is the best way to alert the campus during an emergency.

"We know no one form of communication will be 100 percent effective," she said. "We are dealing with a lot of variables; a student could be in class, or at the gym with their phone in a locker. We just want to reach everyone."

According to a Feb. 17 Boston Globe article, the University of New Hampshire has also started using e-mail and text message alerts. The university has urged more students to register for the system, following Thursday's shooting in Illinois.

The story also stated Plymouth State University also adopted a similar alert system late last summer. University spokesman Christopher Williams told the Globe university officials took a longer look at the system after the tragic shootings at both Virginia Tech last year and Northern Illinois University last week.

Warman first heard about the City Watch ENS a few years ago, yet the process took time to put into action. Warman said the system was finalized last year before the unpredicted events.

"The people we've spoken to are excited with the project and happy that we are moving forward with it," said Warman.

Warman said the best thing now for students to do is to sign up.