In an emergency, messages can be sent to cell phones, e-mail accounts

By KYLE ODEGARD

For the Democrat-Herald

CORVALLIS - Oregon State University plans to test an emergency alert system today that uses students' and employees' cellular phones, text messaging and e-mail accounts.

The program is designed to warn people of emergencies such as a gunman rampaging through campus, a fire or extreme weather.

There's only one hitch.

There are about 26,000 people who work and study on campus, but only an estimated 2,000 have added contact information to the system, said Todd Simmons, OSU assistant vice president for advancement.

"A week and a half ago, that number was only at 500," Simmons said. "We feel like it's moving forward. It definitely isn't where people would like it to be."

All OSU students and staff are included in the system through their university-issued e-mail accounts. However, they can include up to six phone numbers, a text-messaging number and two e-mail addresses, raising the likelihood that they can be reached in an emergency.

As of Friday, 1,939 people had provided mobile phone numbers. About 1,300 people signed up to receive text messages.

"These systems take time to set up," Simmons said. It will take an ongoing effort to encourage students to participate, he added. "If something does happen, you don't want to be left out."

Simmons said he expected OSU to test its system four times a year - roughly once per term.

The emergency alert system is a response to campus shootings, most notably the April 2007 shooting that killed 33 people at Virginia Tech. However, OSU was working on creating such a system before Virginia Tech, officials had said in previous interviews.

Eastern Oregon University, the Oregon Institute of Technology and Southern Oregon University have partnered in the system and plan to launch it this fall. Portland Community College, Lewis & Clark College and Corban College and Graduate School also have joined the group.

Some students interviewed Sunday said they hadn't heard of the emergency system. Others hadn't modified their accounts to receive cell phone calls or text messages, but said they probably would do that.

Ye eun Chun, a junior from Korea who is studying nutrition, said she thought phone and text message notification was a good idea.

"I think everyone carries a cell phone," she said.

Sophomore Kira Noordwijk, an animal sciences major from West Linn, said Washington State University had a similar system when she attended classes in Pullman last year. She got messages of a school snow closure forwarded to her cell phone.

"It's nice, especially if you don't have a computer all the time," Noordwijk said. "I check my e-mail once a day."

Students wishing to update their contact information should go to alert.oregonstate.edu.