PSU implements new emergency alert system

When a bomb threat was discovered in Neuberger Hall late February, the building was quickly evacuated, the premises were roped off, and notifications were sent via university voicemail and e-mail and posted on the PSU Web site.

The emergency notification process has now changed. The next time an emergency situation like the bomb threat arises, much of the process will stay the same, but now students and staff will be notified electronically by PSU Alert.

PSU Alert is a new emergency notification system on campus that sends emergency messages through devices such as cell phones, pagers and e-mail.

The system is powered by the National Notification Network, known as 3n, the same mass notification system currently used by Virginia Tech and the American Red Cross. PSU Alert would be used in life-threatening situations, campus and building closures, and in response to inclement weather. PSU has contracted the 3n system for the next two years.

“It’s another form of communication that, more importantly, supports the communication methods that we have used in the past,” said Campus Public Safety Chief Mike Soto.

PSU Alert is an improvement over the former process, Soto said. Previously, PSU Web site updates, e-mails, signs, voicemails and runners were used to notify the university of an emergency.

“Really, it is a combination of the old school and new school,” said Soto, who co-chaired a special task force that helped create the emergency alert system. “The Web site will still be the main target for detailed information about emergencies.”

As of 8 a.m. Monday, the new alert system went live. When students and staff log in to their PSU Information System accounts, they will be asked either to “opt in” or “opt out” of PSU Alert. If they opt in, they agree to provide necessary information, like a cell phone number or an e-mail address, so they can be contacted if an emergency happens. Those who opt out can later sign up through the Office of Information Technology Help Desk in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 18, or the Campus Public Safety Office.

“Out goal is for maximum participation,” said Kirsten Newbury, project manager for information technologies.

Soto said he hopes everyone opts in, but said realistically that will not happen. Like most universities where similar systems are used, he said, the number of registered students will slowly build.

The system is confidential, and all submitted information will be used solely for emergency contact, said Sharon Blanton, chief information officer for information technologies and co-chair on the task force.

In order to update information, students must visit the Help Desk or the Public Safety Office. Eventually, students will be able to update their own information, much like the personal information section on Banweb, but Newbury said it is unknown when that will happen.

To send a notification to the Portland State community, one of six group leaders would create a new message using the 3n online account. If the power is down and the Internet is unavailable, group leaders have the option of calling a message in to 3n.

The group leader would write a short message and then decide how it will be sent, either through a pager, a cell phone call or message, or e-mail. There are 32 templates for common emergencies, such as a fire or a bomb threat.

Once someone receives the message, they are required to confirm its arrival before accessing it. For example, if a text message is sent to a student’s cell phone, he or she must follow the phone prompt to confirm it was received.

After the task force examined dozens of options, Blanton said, they decided 3n was the best choice because of its ease of use, text-to-speech conversion capability and the number of networks the system has across the nation.

For more information about PSU Alert, visit www.pdx.edu/psualert.