Once  again, we are reminded of the tragedies that can occur on our nation’s college and university campuses. In just the last few days, we have seen tornadoes destroy much of the campus of Union University in Tennessee and the tragic killings of students at Louisiana Technological College and Northern Illinois University.

Immediate communications are critical to assuring maximum safety for students, faculty and staff when life-threatening and emergency events occur. North Georgia is implementing an immediate emergency communication system called the Connect-ED service. It enables campus leaders to send emergency information to the personal electronic devices of students and other members of the campus community. Connect-ED sends messages via four different modes of communication:

Voice messages to home, work, and cell phones Text messages to cell phones, PDAs and other text-based devices Written messages to e-mail accounts Messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired  The university purchased Connect-ED in January and full rollout is expected by March 1

"Notifying all students immediately is crucial in emergency situations, such as a severe storm or campus closure."  NGCSU President David Potter said. It is essential for students to enter all of their contact information into the Connect-ED database. The more ways we have to contact individuals, the better our odds are of spreading timely information and updates and keeping everyone safe.

This network will only be used in real emergencies, said Mike Stapleton, director of Public Safety. Simultaneous contact to all registered devices can be made within moments of emergency events.  This communication is proven to save lives, reduce fear and help people make informed decisions.

Forsyth County Classifieds: Colleges, schools