More than a year after the historic Virginia Tech shooting prompted universities all over the country to go over their emergency response plans with a fine-toothed comb, Northwest Missouri State University has launched Bearcat Alert.
Officials believe this emergency text messaging system will increase Northwest's ability to communicate to its students during times of crisis.
These emergency times include: University closings, an immediate threat/violence situation on campus, tornado, situations of extreme nature and periodic testing.
Clarence Green, the director of Northwest's Campus Safety department, said the new text messaging system would aid in supplying information to students quickly and efficiently.
"I think greatly of it (Bearcat Alert)," Green said. "It's going to get emergency information out to a wider pool. For those who live off campus they will have the chance to be alerted immediately too."
Scott Walk, health and safety manager at Northwest, shared Green's sentiments of getting important information to the public via as many means as possible to ensure complete delivery.
“It all goes back to redundancy,” Walk said. “The more ways we have to communicate with staff and students in case of an emergency, the better.”
Bearcat Alert is open to those with a Northwest account, and only those who actually sign up for the program will be alerted in times of emergency. The cost for this system depends on each individual's cellular phone plan.
Textcaster, the company selected to operate this program, was chosen because local school districts currently use it — ensuring the program would work in northwest Missouri.
In addition to Bearcat Alert, the University will continue to use its Simplex System, which sends audible alerts throughout campus buildings for weather and emergency situations. These messages are sent out to all academic and residential buildings on the Northwest campus.
Additionally, KXCV/KRNW radiobroadcasts announcements in connection with alerts.
Green has worked at Campus Safety for 11 years, and two years ago was appointed to the governor's task force. He is also currently the vice president of the Missouri Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (MACLEA) and will become president of that organization in January 2009.
"I think it always feels good to know you have that kind of support out there and that they think you have something to offer," he said.
Green said Bearcat Alert wasn't enforced right after the incident because it wasn't No. 1 on the University's safety list. He said the Simplex system and e-mail system worked well for campus needs. However, adding the text messaging alerts can only aid in safety.
