Georgia's public colleges and universities are investigating an emergency alert system to warn faculty and students of impending dangers.
The board began considering security options after the shooting spree at Virginia Tech on April 16. A student gunman killed 33 students and faculty in that attack.
The "Connect-Ed" system can simultaneously call thousands of telephone numbers and leave a text-message alert.
Albany State University Police Chief Roberson Brown told GPB News that the system works very quickly:
"Connect Ed has this system they demonstrated, where, everyone in a room he got the phone number for, in less than ten seconds the message was sent out to thousands of cellphones... You have the ability to call into this database, and in return it calls every number in the bank.”
Valdosta State University is implementing the system:
"Valdosta State University recently initiated the VSU Campus Alert system through the Connect-ED communication service. The new system provides campus leaders and security professionals the ability to reach all students, faculty and staff with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies, within minutes, through a single phone call.
"VSU Campus Alert enables campus leaders to schedule, send, and track personalized voice messages, and can also send text messages to cell phones and email addresses."
The Board of Regents is weighing installing the $435,000 system at all 35-member schools statewide.
