COLUMBIA, Mo. – Gov. Matt Blunt announced Feb. 19 that the Missouri Alert Network is expanding to Missouri’s institutions of higher education to improve the safety and security of college students, faculty and staff in the event of an emergency.
“Our schools are among the safest places for our children, but the violence that occurred last year at Virginia Tech and last week at Northern Illinois University is a reminder that we must continue to be vigilant and enhance our preparedness for emergency situations,” Gov. Blunt said. “The Missouri Alert Network provides critical and timely information alerts and warnings to Missouri schools during an emergency to protect the safety of Missouri students. Expanding this important service to colleges and universities will help us protect even more young Missourians from potential danger and we are most appreciative of the Missouri School Boards’ Association for this important partnership to enhance school safety.”
“This is a tremendous development for Missouri,” said Dr. Robert Stein, commissioner of Higher Education. “We are most pleased that higher education will be part of the Missouri Alert Network, which will result in instant notification of our campuses in emergencies.”
The Missouri Alert Network is a rapid notification and information distribution system for K-12 schools, Missouri’s colleges and universities, and other entities that would be activated in the event of a statewide emergency or other situation that might endanger the security of Missouri students. The network allows state officials to contact local schools, colleges, and universities within minutes of an emergency through an appropriate voice, text, or email message from the state. The message on this system can be used to alert school administrators about anything from terrorist threats to hazardous weather information.
“The tragic incident at Virginia Tech last April and the most recent shooting at Northern Illinois have brought emergency preparedness at college campuses to the forefront,” said Mark James, director of Public Safety. “The ability for the Department of Public Safety and the MIAC, our state’s intelligence and warnings center, to communicate quickly with higher education officials is paramount. This enhanced capability will accomplish that goal from a safety and security perspective.”
“We are delighted to be able to expand the reach of this system to colleges and universities throughout Missouri,” said Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) Executive Director Dr. Carter D. Ward. “A system such as this is a critical tool in our continuing effort to provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff.”
Gov. Blunt announced the state’s partnership with the MSBA to create the Missouri Alert Network last August. The decision to activate the network is made by the Department of Public Safety. More than 500 public school districts and private schools are signed up for the Missouri Alert Network. The Missouri Department of Higher Education will coordinate with colleges and universities with registration and other information about participation in the Missouri Alert Network.
Gov. Blunt is working to maintain safety on Missouri college campuses. Expanding the Missouri Alert Network to colleges and universities is in keeping with recommendations made to Gov. Blunt by the Campus Security Task Force, which the governor established in 2007 in response to the tragedy on the Virginia Tech Campus. The task force examined the safety and security at Missouri’s higher education institutions by drawing upon the knowledge and experience of its members and from other concerned Missourians throughout the state and provided recommendations to the Governor in August.
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Gov. Matt Blunt’s Office Feb. 19, 2008 press release
