Campus Security | News

James Madison U Rounds Out Emergency Planning with Web-Based System

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 06/28/10

James Madison University has signed on for an emergency management system to address prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The university, based in Harrisonburg, VA, will be using NaviGate from Lauren Innovations. The agreement, which lasts for a year with nine one-year renewals, also will allow other institutions in the Virginia Association of State College & University Purchasing Professionals (VASCUPP) network, to which James Madison U belongs, to receive comparable pricing.

The Web-based system facilitates management of incidents, training, documents, and emergency operations. For example, in the event of an emergency, the application gives first responders access to the institution's site and building plans, call lists, feeds from video cameras, and policies and procedures related to shut-down, lock-out, and rescue.

James Madison U, which has about 17,900 students on a 696-acre campus, is paying $15,000 for its annual license, according to a contract posted to its Web site. That covers up to 4,999 students. For each student after that, the fee is $3. In subsequent years, the annual license is $10,000 with a $2 per student fee beond 4,999 students.