Successes, pitfalls seen in IU-Notify

Tuesday morning, 20,103 text messages alerted students, faculty and staff about a tornado warning in Monroe County.

But Director of Emergency Management and Continuity Debbi Fletcher said more can be done to prepare the University when such incidents occur.

IU’s Office of Emergency Management and Continuity will investigate the delay in the text message system Tuesday.

Fletcher said although the IU-Notify system successfully transmitted two separate messages — one at 9:40 a.m. and another at 10:10 a.m. — some students, faculty and staff only received one of the two, while others received the messages late.

The delay problem, Fletcher said, is mostly likely tied to the size and complexity in the system and could also relate to users’ specific cell phone carriers.

Fletcher said the campus reacted successfully Tuesday, and building managers helped professors and students find shelter.

But she admitted not everyone on campus was ready.

“We got calls from students asking if they should walk to class when the sirens went off,” Fletcher said.

Students might be unaware and unprepared despite texts, she said, on what protocols to follow.

“I feel like the text messages are an effective way of reaching everybody, but at the same time if I got a message saying there was a bomb threat I would have no idea what to do,” said senior Karen Michelson.

Because staff and faculty fluctuate so often, Fletcher said, learning and following emergency protocols can be pushed aside. She also said all University officials, professors and dorm managers should address emergency preparedness at the beginning of each semester.

“We’ve been trying to push it as hard as we can and expand awareness,” Fletcher said. “Students need to know what to do, and have basic preparedness skills.”

In the future, Fletcher said she hopes more people sign up for IU-Notify and make sure their information is up-to-date. The Office of Emergency Management and Continuity is also looking into more ways to notify campus during an emergency through TV and computers.

“My hope is to see a weather radio in every greek house, every dorm,” Fletcher said. “We need more training and to expand awareness. We are trying to build a culture of awareness, so all officials understand how they play a part.”

The notification system is not only focused on weather-related issues. The University works with various emergency response teams to prepare and notify campus for explosions, fires, shooters, terrorist attacks and biohazards.

John Applegate, vice president for University Regional Affairs, Planning and Policy, said specific details could not be divulged about IU’s response plans, but is confident IU is prepared for any incident.

Last week, for example, a 17-year-old North Carolina teenager pleaded guilty to making fake bomb threats to college campuses across the country — including Purdue and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.

The possibility of such an event, Applegate said, is not something IU ignores.

“The first responders have a very clear protocol for evaluating those kinds of threats to make sure the response is appropriate,” he said.