Six months after the Department of Risk Management implemented the Critical Incident Notification System (CINS) following the shooting at Virginia Tech University, approximately 37 percent of the DU community has signed up to receive emergency notification text messages.
Since DU instituted CINS on Sept. 1, a total of 5,170 students, faculty and staff from the DU community have signed up.
DU has a population of 13,941 people in its community, according to Dave Brendsel, assistant director for news and public affairs. This includes undergraduate and graduate students, Women’s College students, law school students, as well as faculty and staff.
The system would be used to reach the DU community during an emergency through a voice and/or text message to each person who has registered via WebCentral to receive notifications.
Students would continue to receive e-mails regarding emergencies, however, CINS allows them to be more accessible through the speed of cell phone technology.
Vice Chancellor of University Technology Services Ken Stafford said that out of the 5,170 subscribers who are signed up to receive emergency notifications, 4,200 are students, 700 are staff, 220 are faculty, and 50 are “others,” including parents.
This is a fairly small percentage of the total number of those eligible to sign up. The total number of students on campus is 11,117, the total number of staff members on campus is 1,675, and the total number of faculty on campus is 1,149.
Those who have not signed up to receive emergency notification texts or voicemails are either unaware of the system, do not wish to incur the costs associated with receiving texts, or do not feel it is necessary.
“I haven’t signed up for it because I didn’t know about it, and even if I had known about it, I probably wouldn’t have signed up for it. Personally, I don’t feel like DU is all that unsafe,” said junior Phil Barrett.
Junior Jennifer Collins believes it could potentially be useful, but she was unaware that the campus was using it now because the e-mail DU sent to students regarding this system got lost in the mail while she was abroad this fall.
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“I would not want to receive messages while away from school, and I would not want to receive voicemails. Also, I want to be safe and informed but I do not want a million texts of unimportant information,” Collins said.
The students who have signed up to receive emergency notifications think it is advantageous.
“I think it is a good idea. Last year it would have been helpful to receive a text message when there was a bomb threat in Sturm Hall,” said Junior Jenny Saulson.
Saulson’s mother, Laura, signed up to receive notifications from DU as well.
Laura, who lives in Pittsburgh, says it is “crucial that all students are given any emergency information as soon as possible because disasters happen when there is a lack of communication.”
“If there was an emergency on campus, I would want to know immediately so at least I would be able to contact my daughter to confirm she was safe. It is difficult living far away from DU and this source of communication helps make me feel part of the campus,” Laura Saulson said.
To sign up for emergency notifications, you may go to https://myweb.du.edu/ and select “Notification Preferences.” If you chooses to receive a text message you assume any costs associated with receiving text messages.
For more information about the board approved, documented plan outlining the University’s response to a critical incident, visit the Critical Incident Management Plan’s Web site at www.du.edu/risk.
