A recent test of the University of Alabama’s emergency notification system at its Huntsville campus showed messages reached 99 percent of the community, a university spokesman told The Huntsville Times. Previously 80 percent of the community had opted in to receive alerts. The test followed a report issued in May that examined the university’s response to a fatal shooting carried out by a professor in February. According to the report, a 50-minute delay between the first 911 call reporting the shooting and the activation of the notification system was caused by the fact that only two faculty were authorized to issue an alert, both of whom had responsibilities with the crime scene. As a result of that recommendation, the number of people authorized to send alerts increased to seven.
Other recommendations include requiring all students and staff to sign up to receive alerts while providing a method for people to opt out. The university is also exploring the establishment of a threat assessment team modeled on the one Virginia Tech established in the wake of the fatal April 2007 shooting.
For more information, read the full story from The Huntsville Times.
University of Alabama Tests Emergency Notification System Following Fatal Shooting
by News Report on July 21, 2010
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