By David Seguine, Class of 2018
Clemson University has launched Alertus, its newest tool to communicate with the campus in times of emergency.
Alertus is mass communication tool that displays emergency messages on computer screens. If an incident occurs, users connected to the network by cable will receive a message on their desktop or laptop screens similar to a CU Safe Alert. Computers using a wireless connection to the network will display the message if the Alertus desktop plugin is installed. You can download the plugin here.
The Alertus message can be cleared from the screen by clicking the “acknowledge” button. It there is no response, the screen will clear on its own in a few minutes.
Because Clemson University has separate computer networks in various parts of the state, Alertus messages can be sent to computers in specific locations, such as the enterprise campuses in Charleston and Greenville.
“What we like about Alertus is that it provides us with the flexibility for our remote campuses to notify their constituency,” Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Lynn Fisher said. “Right now, we just don’t have that capability.”
Alertus will not be replacing any of the other emergency readiness tools Clemson already utilizes, such as CU Safe Alert texts and emails. Instead, it will be used alongside these tools to maximize the effectiveness of Clemson’s crisis communication plan.
Alertus not only provides Clemson with the ability to notify the university network as a whole, but also with the potential to target specific buildings on campus with safety alerts.
“If we know there is an assailant on the west side of campus, Alertus provides us with the option of targeting that specific area with an emergency alert,” Fisher said. “We can even send an alert to Schilletter to barricade their doors if we’ve located an intruder in the area.”
For more information about Clemson’s emergency communication systems, see http://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/.
