YSU aims for fast alerts

The university wants a system that can send alerts to
computers and cell phones.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University is looking into instituting a text messaging system that could be used to alert the campus community in the event of an emergency.

“We are doing some preliminary investigations into what systems are available,” said spokesman Ron Cole.

The goal would be to have a system that can send text messages to computers and cell phones of all employees and students, both on and off campus, he said.

That would mean people with cell phones would have to voluntarily provide the university with their telephone number to be part of the warning system, he said.

Consideration of a warning system is an offshoot of the Ohio Board of Regent’s Task Force on Campus Security, created in April after a student gunman at Virginia Tech killed more than 30 people.

Gov. Ted Strickland directed that a task force be put together to examine current campus safety plans and come up with recommendations to improve safety.

YSU has been participating in that task.

“I think we have a pretty good operation in place,” said YSU Police Chief John Gocala, adding that student services and campus information technology people are looking at text messaging systems.

What’s in place

YSU police can already put crime alerts on their Web site, accessible through the YSU Web site, and can also put alerts on the electronic signs located on the fringes of campus, Gocala said.

There are public address and telephone calling tree lists in place as further means of informing the campus community of emergency situations, he said.

The university also has a mutual-aid agreement in place with the Youngstown Police Department. YSU already has security cameras strategically placed around campus and is adding more, he said. There are even some portable units that can temporarily be placed where needed.

Putting up more cameras is a cost issue, just like securing additional training for security personnel is a cost that must be addressed, Gocala said.

There have been suggestions from the task force that Homeland Security funds might be available to pay for training, Gocala said.

The chief said his department has teamed up with the Mahoning County Mental Health Board to provide training on mental health issues officers might encounter and a third, 40-hour session will be offered soon.

gwin@vindy.com