News

Jackson State Turns to Everbridge for Emergency Notification

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 10/09/09

Jackson State University in Jackson, MS has implemented the Everbridge Aware for Campus Alerts emergency notification system to communicate with students, faculty, and staff. The service provides alerts to multiple devices--including phone, e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, PDA, and fax--and allows the institution to assign administrative and broadcast roles to staff members and obtain reports with an audit trail by broadcast of who was contacted and how and when they confirmed receipt of the message. It also allows the broadcaster to categorize participants into different types of contacts.

"At Jackson State University, we strive to be on the forefront of campus security, and ensuring the safety of our campus community is one of our highest priorities," said campus President Ronald Mason Jr. "We are continuously evaluating ways to strengthen campus safety, and the Everbridge emergency notification system is another innovative tool in our all-hazards, multi-layered approach to emergency preparedness."

The system is being paid for during the first year through a grant from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.

In addition to implementing the Everbridge emergency notification system, the university has adopted a multi-modal notification strategy that includes the use of alarm systems, call boxes, loudspeakers, and digital signage for campus safety. Now university administrators are making a push to get students, faculty, and staff to sign up to receive emergency notification alerts through the new service.