FAMU launches new emergency alert system ahead of students' return to campus
Beginning Monday, Florida A&M University will launch a new emergency alert system called FAMU ALERT, a week ahead of students’ return to campus.
FAMU will join Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College as all three campuses in the capital city will utilize the same platform, Everbridge. This resource is made available through the Florida Legislature and costs are covered by the state.
Everbridge has seen over 100 colleges and universities nationwide utilizing its notification system, now in use by over 2 million students.
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Users of the Everbridge app can search for FAMU ALERT, which will provide real-time information about emergency situations that could impact the university, such as bomb threats, gas leaks, chemical spills, significant traffic or parking issues, extreme weather alerts and criminal activity on or near campus.
The notifications will be sent out via text messages, automated calls and/or emails. Users can opt-out of receiving each form of notification, but still will be notified through their FAMU email in the case of an emergency.
FAMU ALERT will replace the existing alert system operated by the FAMU Police Department on threats related to the university. The Everbridge app will, however, provide more unique features, said Ashley Davis, assistant vice president and director of emergency management at FAMU.
“There was a problem in the past, where text messages were sent and (would) not be clear and concise. What this does is, it sends a text message and is linked to where it provides the first two sentences that are urgent and then will say ‘click here’ for additional information,” Davis said.
Another feature of FAMU ALERT will be its geofencing ability, where it can recognize users’ locations on other campuses associated with the university.
For instance, users of the app could be notified of an incident at the FAMU College of Law in Orlando.
Davis says the university will pursue adding a safety connect feature in September to the app that will allow users to report suspicious activity they see by capturing it through a live camera feed and directly reporting it to campus police.
The app isn’t limited to students, faculty and staff. It can be downloaded for free by parents and the public.
“Thanks to our partnership with Everbridge and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, we can enhance our abilities to effectively communicate with students, faculty, staff and the ‘FAMUly’ in the case of an emergency at Florida A&M University,” said Davis. “We’re committed to utilizing the most dependable technology to prepare for emergencies that may impact our university.”
Contact Democrat writer Malcolm Harvey at malcolm1.harvey@famu.edu.
For more information
To access Everbridge, visit the App Store on Apple devices or Google Play on android devices and download. Next, search FAMU ALERT and follow the prompts.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M University launches new emergency alert system
