Oregon universities prepare for the unthinkable

Large and small campuses will get communication network that issues emergency warnings

By Mariah Summers

The Portland Tribune, Jul 22, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (10 Reader comments)

Tribune file photo

Portland State University is one of the state university campuses getting a new emergency notification system. The Oregon University System has awarded a contract to a company to provide notifications to students, faculty and staff about emergencies or other problems on campuses.

Nearly 15 months after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, the Oregon University System is stepping up efforts to notify students, faculty and staff in the event of an emergency at any of its seven university campuses.

Last week, the university system selected a new communication service to provide universities with the ability to quickly reach students, faculty and staff with alerts and time-sensitive information in the event of an emergency.

George Marlton, the system’s director of purchasing and contract services, said the decision to purchase the system was in large part a reaction to the April 16, 2007, shootings at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where 32 people were killed and 15 wounded.

"Virginia Tech was definitely a factor in implementing this; also, changes in technology with people having cell phones, e-mail and other ways of reaching them, that was a motivating factor," said Marlton. "This has been in the process for quite awhile. Campuses will be better prepared and able to distribute information much faster in an emergency."

An ‘extremely useful tool’

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