Photo Credit: Morgan Poff
By: Morgan Poff
Students and employees of Milligan will soon be able to use a new emergency alert system that is being launched within the next few weeks. The new system will utilize text messaging, email, social media alerts and RSS feeds to spread the word in any emergency situation. “Emergency or crisis situations are those situations that threaten the safety and well being of individuals or college property and that disrupt the overall being of the college,” said Lee Fierbaugh, vice president for enrollment management and marketing communications.Weather related school closings and schedule changes will also be communicated through the system.
“I think this is a great system to have on Milligan’s campus,” said student Gracie Shawley. “I always have my phone on me and my friends do too, so I know it will be a really convenient and effective way to communicate with students.”
Once the system is launched, which Fierbaugh hopes will be by the end of the semester, an email will be sent out with the URL address that will take them to the sign up page. Using their preexisting Milligan IDs and passwords, students and employees can log in, confirm their contact information, choose how they wish to be notified, add parental contact information or opt out of the system altogether.
“I know of other college campuses that have a system like this and I always wondered why we didn’t,” said student Amerrica Duggan, “I’m glad we’re finally implementing this so we can know about emergencies quicker than we did last year during the tornado.”
Fierbaugh, along with Dean of Students Mark Fox, Information Technology Manager Mark Nester, Director of Property and Risk Management Brent Nipper and Director of Public Relations Chandrea Shell chose a company called RaveAlert to provide the new system based on the quality of their product, ease of use, variety of communication methods and cost. Each year Milligan budgets for safety and security and those funds will pay for the system.
RaveAlert is a safety software systems provider for campus and public security use. According to their website (www.ravemobilitysafety.com) they are “the most reliable method for allowing higher education institutions to react and respond to both emergency and day-to-day communications in a systematic, cost-effective manner.” RaveAlert serves over 500 institutions across the country including the University of South Florida, Bucknell University and East Tennessee State University.
Other nearby colleges have similar systems in place. King College in Bristol, TN uses Connect-ED®, a system much like RaveAlert. Emory and Henry College in Emory, VA uses a system called e2Campus, a system run independently by the college. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville also runs an independent communication service called UT Alert.
The new system is just one more installment of what Fierbaugh calls Milligan’s “ongoing effort to ensure the safety and security of the campus.” It is used in conjunction with the campus’ existing siren system. The emergency phones around campus are also a part of the safety initiative. The phones are placed throughout campus and are a direct link to 911.
More information about all safety precautions being taken on Milligan’s campus can be found on their website, www.milligan.edu/community/safety.html.
Photo caption: These emergency phones, placed throughout Milligan’s campus, are just one of the ways Milligan is making the campus a safe and secure environment.
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