University unveils ongoing plans to
upgrade technology
MURFREESBORO,
Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University announced Thursday (Dec. 1) the
creation and distribution of an active shooter guide as well as increased video
surveillance and plans to reintroduce emergency call stations to the campus.
With the recent Ohio
State University attack as the latest example of the security concerns facing
campuses throughout the nation, MTSU’s Division of Student Affairs and
University Police Department have been working throughout the semester to
update emergency response information located on its website at http://mtsu.edu/alert4u and share more specific
guidelines for active shooter responses.
Recently ranked among the
Top 50 safest large universities in the nation by the website
collegechoice.net, MTSU has developed pocket-sized active shooter cards that
summarize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “Run-Hide-Fight”
guidelines that have been increasingly embraced by universities around the
country, including Ohio State.
“It helps us provide some
really important information to people before an incident so that hopefully in
the throes of something serious happening, they will think about what they’ve
(seen) and they will have foundational knowledge to make good decisions and
keep them safer,” University Police Chief Buddy Peaster said.
The active shooter cards
provide brief summaries of basic steps to take under each phase of the
“Run-Hide-Fight” protocol, such as having an escape route in mind when
preparing to “run”; blocking entry and locking doors when you “hide”; and only
“fight” as a last resort and when your life is imminent danger.
Dr. Deb Sells,
vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic
services, said the cards will be available while supplies last at key locations
around campus such as the MT One Stop, Student Union, University Police
Department and others for students, faculty and staff. The guidelines and an
instructional video are also always available on the university’s website at http://www.mtsu.edu/alert4u/active-shooter.php.
“We want to direct
students to the cards that they can carry as a reminder, but more importantly
to the website where they can view the videos and read (the guidelines) in more
detail,” said Sells, noting that such guidelines are not only applicable for
college campuses, but for many other public spaces such as malls and other
venues.
Starting next year, the
cards will be given to all new freshmen during the CUSTOMS student orientation
sessions held in summer before the start of classes. All new students are
required to attend a CUSTOMS session.
At MTSU, alerts for an
active shooter situation and other emergencies are sent via the university’s
Critical Notification System, which is operated by Rave Mobile Safety and has
almost 27,000 registered users. Emergency messages are distributed via texts,
emails and phone calls as well as posted to the university’s website and social
media accounts.
While students, faculty
and staff are automatically registered to receive Rave email alerts, only those
who’ve added phone numbers to their notification preferences will also receive
a text message and/or recorded phone call. All current MTSU students, faculty
and staff can verify and update their Rave notification preferences by using
their PipelineMT usernames and passwords at www.getrave.com/login/mtsu.
The campus community can
also download the Rave Guardian app to their smartphones. The app includes a
panic button feature that connects directly to police as well as a timer
feature that allows users to designate police and/or family and friends as “guardians”
who can remotely check on their status if traveling alone. Full details are
available at http://www.mtsu.edu/alert4u/guardian.php.
Sells said the university
will continue to reminds students, particularly incoming freshmen, that life on
a college campus is much different than high school. That means, among other
things, that students should take time to familiarize themselves with emergency
protocols found on the university’s website and check their Rave registrations
and preferences to ensure they receive emergency messages quickly.
Increased video surveillance
Meanwhile, University
Police has partnered with the Information Technology Division, Campus Planning
and the Facilities Services Department to expand video surveillance throughout
campus to assist police investigations. Primarily involving exterior cameras
thus far, the multi-year project represents a $1.1 million investment that will
allow police to better investigate incidents captured on video as well as
better respond to situations occurring in real time.
“We tried to focus on
areas where we’ve had serious incidents before or where our statistical
information has shown we’ve had a number of incidents,” Peaster said, noting
that exterior cameras will soon be installed around Murphy Center, Floyd
Stadium and Womack Lane Apartments.
Tom Wallace, associate vice
president for information technology, has overseen the camera project, which
has already resulted in close to 400 camera installations around campus with
the next phase adding up to 100 exterior additional cameras, he said. Interior
cameras are also planned for certain locations, such as the Science Building.
“This is just an
extension of enhancing the security on campus,” said Bruce Petryshak,
vice president for information technology and chief information officer at
MTSU. His Information Technology Division manages the centralized surveillance
system, which is accessible anytime by authorized University Police personnel.
The long-term plan is to have all campus entrances and exits covered.
An additional security
measure will be the installation of emergency call stations, Petryshak said.
Mounted on clearly marked poles, the call stations will not only allow people
to make emergency calls directly to police, they will also have multiple
cameras attached as well as speaker capabilities for emergency announcements.
The first such station
will be installed at a bus stop near Womack Lane, with plans to install several
other stations throughout campus.
About MTSU Police
The University Police
Department is an independent law enforcement agency recognized as such by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the state of Tennessee. The department
currently consists of 44 commissioned police officers, six full-time
dispatchers, approximately 25 part-time student workers, plus full-time
administrative staff. University Police operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
and is located at 1412 E. Main St.
Members of Raider Patrol,
which consist of part-time, student employees, provide safety escorts and also
check and secure doors and windows of university buildings, as well as assist
and support police personnel with parking for events and other special
assignments as needed.
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