For the Cumberland Times-News
January 21, 2008 11:54 am
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KEYSER - Potomac State College of West Virginia University officials are encouraging students, faculty and staff to sign up for a new Web-based notification system called Potomac State Alert. The system primarily uses text messages to alert the college community to time-sensitive information from authorized campus officials, including emergencies/crises, crimes and severe weather-related closings.
Potomac State Alert will be introduced on Jan. 28 in the Computer Lab located in the Student Union at 10 a.m. Lt. Ricky Jackson, staff officer for the University Police Department, will assist students, faculty and staff in registering for the service until 2 p.m. Thereafter, students can register by clicking on the "Potomac State Alert" icon on MIX under the Potomac State tab; faculty and staff can register anytime by going to http://emergency.wvu.edu/alert/potomacstate/ or clicking on the icon from the homepage of the college's Web site.
"We hope we never have to use this system," said Campus Provost Kerry Odell. "However, if a situation should warrant it, we can now send out vital safety information to our campus community quickly and efficiently. We appreciate West Virginia University's support in this endeavor to enhance the services available to those who work and study here."
WVU introduced the same system on the Morgantown campus this past fall with plans to offer it to its divisional and regional campuses. The system was recently introduced on the West Virginia Tech campus in Montgomery.
According to University Police Department Chief Bob Roberts, the system is powered by e2Campus and is endorsed by the campus crime watchdog group Security on Campus and is used by a number of colleges and universities across the country. He and PSC Police Chief Fred Downey encourage the entire campus community to sign up.
"We researched eight different companies and found this one to be the most efficient and reliable," Roberts said. "But it only works if people take the time to register, which only takes a couple of minutes to do."
Potomac State Alert allows users to receive up to three types of alerts. Emergency alerts are utilized when an incident has occurred or is likely to occur that could place members of the college community in imminent danger. Crime Alerts are utilized for major crimes that have occurred on or off campus and may affect members of the college community. Weather alerts are used when severe weather conditions, i.e., tornadoes, floods, will close the college.
The system is registered with every cell phone carrier in the country and takes only seconds to minutes to activate once the registration is complete.
In an emergency, more detailed information about the situation can also be found on the Potomac State Web site at www.potomacstatecollege.edu.
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