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Virginia Tech

Apr-17 » Filed Under: Elsewhere » Posted by: Todd

Deadliest civilian shooting in US history (wikipedia link) - how terribly sad.

Update:

There has been quite a bit of scrutiny regarding the University's warning system used to alert faculty/staff and students after the first shooting took place in the campus dorm. Apparently they sent out a blanket email to the campus, but did not rely on more traditional methods.

Coincidentally, I attended a web conference hosted by the Associate Vice President for University Relations at Virginia Tech last October where he discussed the role of the internet in crisis communications. Their campus was locked down last fall when a fugitive was on the loose and he talked about how the web was so crucial for sharing information during that episode. Today VT has a special section on their site devoted to this incident, which does an excellent job of providing updates. However, I wonder if this incident will cause VT, and other institutions, to change its policies regarding emergencies? As a member of the communications office I can't help but wonder what discussions will follow. Technology has its limits.

Update II: I found out today that one of the victims, Austin Cloyd, grew up here in Champaign, IL. Her father was an Accounting Professor at the College of Business (where Julie and I work) until the family moved to Blacksburg, VA in 2005.

Update III: I just heard on the radio that the University of Illinois is speeding up its current plan to implement an SMS-based emergency warning system on campus. SMS is the protocol used by cell phone companies that allows you to send text messages. In an emergency the University could push a message to your email inbox, cell phone, blackberry, PDA etc. People are much more likely to have a mobile device with them, and would not be required to check their email to receive a warning. Apparently V Tech was considering such a system as well.


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