Campus safety has become a big topic of conversation at many colleges and universities, especially US institutions. Students, parents and staff have growing concerns about their safety on campus. As a result, they are increasingly expecting a more proactive approach from universities to campus safety. SmartCampus technology and real-time safety alerts may provide a solution.
In the US, universities have an obligation under the Clery Act, to send a “timely warning” to students when there is a serious threat on campus.
Over the past few years, there have been several reports of active shooter threats, both real and hoaxes, at universities across the US. Aside from these, there are other factors that universities need to consider for campus safety, such as weather emergencies, security breaches, fires, as well as electricity or water outages. It is essential for universities to be well-prepared and respond swiftly with real-time safety alerts to ensure the effectiveness of their emergency response.
After an incident at the University of Pittsburg earlier this year, students began protesting about how and when they were alerted to threats. Students want to be kept aware of any potential risks to their safety. A campus-wide mass notification or real-time safety alert system, is a crucial method of relaying important information about an emergency event to those who need it.
How SmartCampus Technology Can Help
Some of the benefits of SmartCampus technology include:
- A complete picture of campus activity.
- Monitoring room and building occupancy, and space utilisation insights.
- Send overcrowding and safety alerts direct to student and staff smartphones.
- Real-time location and activity data for staff and students who may be missing or need a welfare check.
- Reduced emergency response time.
- A campus-wide safety initiative.
- A mass notification system to keep staff/students informed in an emergency event – what, where, when and how to respond.
Read more about how SmartCampus technology can make a difference at your institution here.
