Hear that? MSU installs new campus-wide alert system

EAST LANSING – Michigan State University’s options for broadcasting emergency alerts are extensive.

Texts, emails, and phone calls are all part of the arsenal.

Officials have added another: public address speaker towers.

The eight tower setup allows the MSU Police Department to send out audible alerts for severe weather and ongoing safety concerns such as a gunman on campus, said Capt. Penny Fischer.

As head of the department’s Support Services Division, Fischer works to ensure everyone on campus is informed in an emergency. She hopes the new system, set to debut at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, will sound more human than previous iterations.

Before this weekend’s testing, police will sound a recorded message stating the intent of the test. A siren will then sound, followed by another recorded message.

“It’s a similar concept to our green light system, but it is a completely separate architecture,” Fischer said. MSU’s green light emergency phones can be found across campus and are capable of playing recorded alerts in the event of an emergency, albeit much more quiet than the new towers.

The new system also allows police to live-broadcast voice alerts if needed. Emergency alerts will typically be sent out using text-to-voice software, she said.

Four existing sirens were updated with the new speaker technology, while the other four are wholly new. The setup allows for complete coverage of MSU’s main campus as well as research areas south of campus, Fischer said.

Fischer was not able to immediately provide the cost of the new system.

Even with all the options available, Fischer said the new speakers will be a valuable resource, particularly for those with visual impairments.

MSU has increased its capacity to provide emergency alerts in recent years in compliance with the Clery Act. Signed in 1990, the Clery Act requires colleges to collect and report information about crimes on or near campus.

The federal law was bolstered following the Virginia Tech shooting to require colleges to be prepared to send out mass emergency notifications.

The alerts have garnered widespread attention recently, including last September when nearly 70,000 people received early-morning emergency alerts. The notice was sent out after a student was stabbed outside an off-campus fraternity house.

Since then, MSU Police have responded to concerns about alerts being too frequent. Those subscribing to the MSU alert system can now choose whether to receive non-emergency alerts, such as gas leaks, said MSU spokesperson Jason Cody.

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.

Signing up for MSU Alerts

Visit alert.msu.edu to sign up for timely warnings and emergency notifications. Alert options include audible messages, texts and emails.