By Kelsi Peace, Managing Editor
The university launched its new text message alert system, ACU ALERT, Wednesday morning, aiming to further pursue a commitment to safety.
“It is amazing how fast of a response you get with this system,” said Lynne Bruton, Campus Emergency Response Team member.
The university purchased the system in October, and since the purchase, there has been pre-testing and planning to encourage students, faculty and staff to register for the system.
ACU ALERT, a product of OMNIALERT’s e2Campus text message alert system, will send text messages for emergency or urgent situations- but users must register themselves annually.
“It makes sense for everyone to want to be a part of this system when it could potentially save your life,” said ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison.
Registration opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, and any member of the ACU community can register through the ACU homepage, in a permanent box at myACU and through the ACU Police Department Web site, as well as through additional venues. Bruton said the registration process will require users to have their cell phone available and to enter their user ID. The system works for all carriers, and troubleshooting must be directed to the user’s carrier or e2Campus.
The response team opted for a system that would utilize e-mail and text messages- the fasted methods to reach a community of people who admittedly always have a cell phone with them. And the immediacy of the system offers a solution “when seconds count,” as the slogan says. Proponents of the system cited the Virginia Tech shootings and last winter’s campus closure due to severe weather as instances when urgency is vital.
“Sometimes we just don’t have the luxury of time,” said Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson, vice president of student life.
Thompson said the system will be required for Campus Life staff – including residence assistants and residence directors, and ACU ALERT will be incorporated into emergency planning.
“It’s not going to be used and abused for announcements,” Thompson said, “I think it’s a must-do.”
Proponents also touted the simplicity of the system – which is free to register. Fees for text messaging will be applied as part of each user’s personal cell phone plan.
During the course of the semester, Bruton and Ellison said they expect to test the system at least once. But other than tests, they emphasized the system’s stringent regulations – emergency use only.
“We’re very committed to only using this system for emergency or urgent situations,” Bruton said.
A regulatory policy has been established, Bruton said, detailing who can send systems and under what circumstances. Authorities in the President’s office, Student Life and the Police Department are authorized to use the system, a system Ellison says he hopes they never have to use.
“It’s just like good life insurance,” he said.
