BLUEFIELD — In a proactive, innovative move to enhance its crisis communication with students, Bluefield College launched a wireless emergency notification system, RamAlert, which will dramatically strengthen its ability to communicate with the campus community during times of crisis.
Crafted by BC information technology and crisis communication officials under the guidance of the Inspiron Logistics Corporation, RamAlert is a secure, wireless alert system that allows the college to communicate potentially life-saving information to students, parents, faculty and staff in the event of a major emergency.
BLUEFIELD COLLEGE
With BC's new RamAlert signup web page in the background, BC president David Olive introduces the wireless emergency notification system.
The system is an opt-in system, which means members of the BC family are given the option to subscribe to receive RamAlert notifications by text message and/or e-mail. As subscribers, in the event of an emergency, they will receive timely and ongoing information that will not only minimize campus disruption, but also potentially prevent harm or save lives.
“I applaud the efforts of Dean Carrie Camden and the Crisis Management Team in shepherding this process to completion,” said BC president David Olive, “and leading us to this point in our ability to provide an emergency notification system for our students, faculty and staff.”
Trained and authorized personnel on the Bluefield College campus will administer RamAlert. During times of crisis, they will send emergency text and voice messages through a secure web portal to warn students, faculty and staff who have opted in to the system of impending danger, such as an intruder, fire, or bomb threat.
Within those text and voice messages to members of the campus community will be warnings, details of the crisis, emergency protective measures and any other necessary action plans, along with post-incident information.
Emergencies may include, but are not limited to, an accident or serious injury to a student or employee, a facility emergency such as a fire or flood, loss of utilities, a public health issue, severe weather, a bomb threat, an intruder, or a hazardous waste spill.
The implementation and launch of RamAlert represents the most significant development in a series of improvements by the BC administration to its Crisis Management Plan since colleges and universities nationwide began evaluating their emergency response systems in the wake of the April 2007 shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
“The tragic consequences at Virginia Tech last year led our Crisis Management Team to be forward thinking,” Olive added, “as we strive to provide a safe and secure learning and living environment for our campus community.”
Students, faculty and staff can subscribe to RamAlert with a BC username and password by visiting the Bluefield College web portal at https://faith.bluefield.edu.