Last Tuesday's test of the emergency alert system served as little more than an annoying, all-to-early alarm clock for many students on campus. I was peacefully slumbering in the Landings when I heard the alert system go off, followed by a muffled voice giving instructions I couldn't make out. I had glanced at the half-dozen e-mails sent out over the past week, so I knew what was going on, but that didn't abate my annoyance at being woken up so early.
Despite multiple tests since the system was first implemented last year, last week's test was still full of problems. Many students complained about not hearing the siren or not being able to understand the message, which makes that part of the system completely useless. Other people had the emergency e-mails delivered directly to their junk mail instead of inboxes. And, some current students got a text alert during spring break but didn't get on during last week's test, while some alumni and students who transferred from Longwood did get the alert.
When Longwood first came out with the text alert system I signed up to receive alerts, but I have since removed myself from the list. I first signed up not because of my own safety, but because of threats about not being able to register. I, and several of my friends, remember being told that students would not be allowed to register for classes unless they had signed up for the system. Former Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Management Dan Dillon said in a press release last year that "about 2,200 students have signed up, which is approximately 50 percent of the student body," adding that Longwood has a better signup rate than nearly every other university in the state, the majority of which have a 20 to 30 percent signup rate, he said. If you're going to hold the possibility of not registering over my head just because I choose not to sign up for the alert system that's fine, but don't bully students into signing up and then brag to the public about how many students have bought into the system.
With Dillon's departure a few weeks ago, there is no permanent person in charge of the system. The duty has fallen to Chief of Police Bob Beach, but in order for the system to be effective there needs to be a permanent person in charge. Whether it is IT, the police department or a new emergency management coordinator, the system will continue to be ineffective until someone is held responsible for its implementation and upkeep.
While I applaud Longwood's efforts in trying to keep up with the times by adding a text message alert system, how many tests do we need to get it right? With so many problems getting texts out, it seems that word spreads faster through students texting each other rather than the university sending out a mass text message. Remember last week when texts about a gang shooting at Wal-Mart were flying around campus. No campus-wide text was needed from the emergency alert system, but within a few hours everyone on campus had heard about it. The rumor became so widespread within a few hours that Beach was forced to send out a campus-wide e-mail addressing the rumors. And I'm betting just as many people got the text about the gang shooting as those who got the text about the fake tornado alert. I realize the system needs to be tested periodically, but after three or four tests I would expect there to be many fewer problems than what everyone seems to be having. Until students can trust the emergency alert system for accurate, timely and reliable information, the system will continue to be ignored by students and cost the university unnecessary extra money to test and fix.
