The Department of Public Safety has continued to augment its emergency communication abilities by choosing the Audible Alert system vendor, Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. This follows the addition of ConnectEd’s emergency text message and voice mail services to the Emergency Notification System.
The Audible Alert system would couple the effects of a siren and a broadcasted instructional message. The voice message broadcast across the speakers can either be a scripted message for general emergencies or a live or custom message. This alert would become a part of the portfolio of communication tools that the Emergency Management System already maintains: emails, posted notices, the Public Safety Website, their campus extension, and a soon-to-be-running Emergency Notification Website.
With regards to the choice of Whelen, Director of Public Safety Jerry Matthews said, “We found that they have a very solid reputation, not only around the country but around the world.” Whelen’s Audible Alert system is used by colleges around the country, including Cornell, Ithaca College, the Air Force Academy, Ohio State, and West Point.
Matthews expects that four speakers will be used to cover the Troy campus, with one at the Mueller Center, a second in the vicinity of the ’86 Field, a third at the Houston Field House, and a fourth at the Folsom Library. The exact location of each speaker is subject to change. While environmental conditions and other such variables may affect how far the sirens can reach, it is expected that three of the sirens will overlap part of the core campus to ensure maximum coverage. In addition, Matthews expects the speaker at the Folsom Library should be audible on Sixth Avenue, reaching the residence hall at the former Best Western Hotel in Troy.
While the Audible Alert system has been ordered, it will take some time for it to be built, erected on campus and tested. Matthews expects that it should be completed in late fall to early winter.
In addition to the progress here in Troy, Matthews is in talks with the Hartford Campus to enable text and voice mail emergency services there. While it appears difficult to get 100 percent participation in the text and voice mail system here in the Troy Campus community, Matthews hopes to have as many people provide their contact information as possible. At the least, he anticipates that if messages were sent out during class hours, for example, those who do receive a message would be able to share the message with those around them.
