New emergency test planned for April 18

April 1, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida will conduct a test of its emergency communications system on April 18 to ensure that all components are operating smoothly.

The University of Florida Police Department and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety will work with other campus entities to test a three-pronged system that utilizes text messaging, e-mail alerts and an automated telephone notification system. This is the first time that all three systems have been tested simultaneously.

“No one system can reach everybody, but by using these three systems we’ll be able to contact a larger proportion of the university community in order to provide information and ensure campus safety,” said University Police Department Lt. Mitch Welsh.

The text messaging system, supported by Mobile Campus, was tested on Jan. 15. There was an 86 percent success rate of messages delivered within 30 minutes to the 41,383 registered phones. Since Jan. 15, the university and Mobile Campus have worked to increase delivery rate and speed, while also recognizing that additional methods of communication are vital to reaching every member of the university community.

“I believe that the University of Florida thinks of this the right way—texting isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it is a great method of communication that should be part of a multi-pronged strategy for a campus emergency,” said David Liniado, chief executive officer of Mobile Campus.

In addition to the text message, the communications test will include a mass e-mail to all UF e-mail addresses. The e-mail will give details of the emergency, and the precautions necessary to ensure safety.

“Our hope is to see how quickly an emergency e-mail can be issued, while determining its effectiveness,” said Lt. Welsh.

The third part of the test is an automated telephone notification system for specific campus areas that may be affected by a crisis. The message will be broadcast through each phone in the designated building, detailing the proper emergency procedures. The university hopes to eventually incorporate campus resident cell phones, due to a lack of residence hall phones.

Similar tests will be conducted about once a semester to maintain and strengthen current communication systems, said Marc Hoit, interim chief information officer with the Office of the Provost.

“Each test is going to increasingly replicate an emergency, to make sure we’re prepared for every situation,” he said.

To help refine and improve the system, anyone who does not receive a text or an e-mail on April 18 should report the discrepancy at http://www.it.ufl.edu/emergency-test/. The buildings selected for the automated telephone notification test will be chosen at a later date.