Unified Notification Coverage and Integration with Existing Infrastructure
Overview
Location: Kenosha, WI
Campus Type: Urban
Enrollment: 20,000+ Students Annually
Faculty/Staff: 1,008 (2021)
Campus Size: Serves 3 Counties
Building Count: 3 Major Campuses, 3 Satellite Centers
Spread across three counties, Gateway Technical College was looking for a mass notification system connecting its three campuses and three satellite centers. The college also needed a unified facility notification system that could integrate with its existing provider, e2campus, and cost-effectively accommodate buildings dating back to the 1950s.
Dennis Sherwood, Dean of Campus Affairs for the Kenosha Campus and Director of Safety and Security at Gateway Technical College, discusses its unique challenges and how they found a solution with Alertus.
Challenge
We have three major campuses and three satellite centers spread across three counties, so a large area must have notification coverage. Before Alertus, campus security would physically travel to notify people of an emergency or incident. Relaying information became disorganized without an actual primary means of mass notification.
Our buildings vary in age, starting from the ‘50s to recent construction. Since we didn’t have consistency in our mass notification system, we searched for a unified solution to implement across all campuses and satellite centers and found the e2campus system. Then, e2campus introduced us to Alertus.
Solution
Notification Coverage and Integration
The Alertus System is convenient, easy to use, and provides a single access point for mass notifications. Since it’s integrated with e2campus and our sirens, we can activate all three simultaneously from multiple locations and rapidly disseminate important information throughout our campuses and satellite centers.
Weather-Related Alerts
Before Alertus, we had some weather-related incidents. Without an actual primary means of mass notification, campus security traveled the campus, trying to notify people when something came up. Ultimately, getting the information out could have been more organized.
The National Weather Service integrates into Alertus’ location-based, audible-visual device, the Alert Beacon®. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, Alertus will automatically initiate the emergency notification (such as a tornado warning) on the Alert Beacons to the appropriate county. This feature makes Alertus an excellent solution for Gateway Technical College.
With Alertus, we can choose exactly which location receives the alert rather than notifying all three locations. This feature makes Alertus an excellent solution for us.
Filling in the SMS Gaps
We’ve had difficulty convincing students to sign up for our SMS alerts program no matter how much marketing we do. With just under 10% of students receiving SMS alerts, the Alertus System and Alert Beacons help us fill those gaps.
We want to expand the reach of each Alert Beacon and are looking into purchasing Alert Beacon Peripherals such as Alertus’ LED Marquee. My goal is to have an LED Marquee located at each building door.
Conclusion
Without a primary means of emergency notification, you become susceptible to liabilities. For example, you could face legal issues if someone was not notified of an emergency and was ultimately injured due to a lack of information.
Although more than a legal liability, a moral responsibility coincides with being the Director of Public Safety. Alertus gives me confidence in knowing that I can protect my campus and continuously meet the safety demands of Gateway Technology College.