Sources: Tom Rawson, 785-532-6226, tmr@k-state.edu;
and Rob Caffey, 785-532-2507, caffey@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Jessica Grant, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu
Friday, Feb. 22, 2008
K-STATE TO TEST ITS EMERGENCY TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE AND OTHER EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS FEB. 27
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University will test three of its campus emergency notification systems starting around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The tests of K-State's text messaging service, reverse 911 system and campus carillon speaker system are to ensure that each is functioning properly. This is the first of two planned universitywide tests. The second test will be in the fall semester.
"These three systems are just part of the comprehensive approach K-State is using to alert the campus community in the event of an emergency," said Tom Rawson, vice president for administration and finance. "To be most effective in reaching as many students, faculty and staff as possible requires that we use multiple emergency notification methods and that we know each method works appropriately."
This will be the first systemwide test of K-State's new text messaging system and will help university officials determine if people receive the messages in a timely fashion, Rawson said.
All current students, faculty and staff with active K-State e-IDs are eligible for the emergency text messaging service. The service is optional and only one cell phone number per user can be registered, said Rob Caffey, director of K-State's office of mediated education.
"We want to see how long it takes for the messages to be received and we'll be getting feedback from users to see how easy the system was to use," Caffey said. "Based on those recommendations, improvements to the system will be made."
Following the initial test, an e-mail will be sent to anyone signed up for the text messaging service. The survey will solicit feedback about whether the message was received and the time it was received.
K-State students, faculty and staff can sign up for the text messaging service at http://www.eid.k-state.edu
After signing in, click on the "Manage your emergency contact settings" link.
Those who have signed up for the emergency text messaging service should receive the test message on Feb. 27. K-State cannot guarantee that emergency text messages will be received or that they will be received in a timely fashion. Due to the nature of text messages, factors such as service provider, coverage area and total load on local communication towers can determine if users receiving text messages and the time text messages are received.
People who sign up for the service and do not receive the test message or any other messages should contact the IT Help Desk at 800-865-6143 or 785-532-7722. Users are responsible for any messaging charges from their phone service providers and for keeping their emergency contact information up to date.
Also to be tested will be K-State's reverse 911 and campus carillon systems. The reverse 911 system is operated through the K-State police department and phones departments, colleges and offices on the Manhattan and Salina campuses, providing an automated message explaining an emergency situation. The carillon system, for the Manhattan campus only, sends out a recorded emergency message over the speaker system from Anderson Hall's bell tower.
K-State also has several other emergency notification systems, including e-mail, postings on the K-State Web site and public address systems on campus police cars. More information on K-State notification systems is available online at: http://www.k-state.edu/safety/EmergencyInfo1.htm