After past tragedies, such as the shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech, how can universities best inform the public of emergencies?
In response, TAMIU has instituted a new security system called ‘DustyALRT,’ which allows students, faculty, and staff to receive emergency messages, according to a university press release.
“Once a [person] signs up for the service, the university can text his or her cell phone, PDA, or pager with timely information about emergencies, class cancellations, or campus closures,” explained Lee Brian Gaskins, the university’s chief information officer.
The minute the news breaks, Dusty alerts will be immediately sent to the cell phones, PDAs or pagers. The messages will reach people on or off campus.
“We know how [everyone] love[s] their cell phones, so now we can reach them with important information that may end up saving their lives,” Gaskins said.
The service is available to all current TAMIU students, faculty and staff. To receive the emergency messages, students can sign up online at https://dustyalrt.tamiu.edu.
While the messages sent out by the university are free of charge, individuals may be charged a fee by their service provider to receive the text messages.
TAMIU Police Chief Felipe Garza agrees with the university’s decision to add this system on campus.
“We are committed to our campus’s safety, and this gives us a very powerful tool to help ensure that all members of the university community can benefit from enhanced security,” Garza said.
Students consider the DustyALRT a great addition to the university.
“It’s about time,” said senior marketing major Christina Hernandez. “It’s better than just sending emails since a lot of students don’t check them.”
“It makes me feel safer,” senior accounting major Priscilla Hinojosa said. “I encourage students to sign up since it is a good way to stay safe and to avoid tragedies such as Northern Illinois University.”
Rolando Santos, a junior communication major, thinks DustyALRT is a good idea as long as the university doesn’t abuse the system by sending numerous promotions.
Santos said if the situation gets out of hand, it will be problematic since people will be charged for the messages.
Graduate assistant teacher Alicia Cavazos approves the decision to add DustyALRT, stating that if she didn’t check her email, she wouldn’t know if there was an emergency on campus.
“I feel safe with the program and more specifically having alerts sent to my cell phone,” Cavazos said.
According to the press release, DustyALRT is powered by e2campus, the same service used at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and Tarleton State University. Nationwide, over 300 college and university campuses use e2campus, representing over 1 million users.