University of Richmond installs new outdoor emergency notification system
December 2, 2008
University of Richmond has installed a campus-wide, outdoor emergency notification system.
The UR Alert-Audible Warning System replaces the university's tornado siren and will be used to notify the campus community of any emergencies, including weather.
High-powered, 120-decibel speakers have been installed in the bell tower at Boatwright Memorial Library and on the roof of the Booker Hall of Music at the Modlin Center for the Arts, activated by a control panel at the University Police department. The speakers project both alert tones and voice warning messages that can be heard at any outdoor location on campus.
"The audible warning will consist of an alert tone, followed by a live or pre-recorded message," said Bill Harding, the university's emergency preparedness planner. "In the event of an emergency, the cycle will repeat at least once."
The audible warning is the newest component of the UR Alert system, which sends emergency messages by text message, e-mail and voice mail to an individual's computer and cell, work and home telephones. The university's Web site and television channel also display emergency messages. Indoor warning speakers in large buildings with open areas—Tyler Haynes Commons, Boatwright library, Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness, and Heilman Dining Center—will be added in coming months.
Following the April 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech, the university began researching a campus-wide emergency alert system.
"The audible warning system is the quickest, most efficient way to alert our campus community in the event of an actual emergency," Harding said.