Purdue puts emergency texting to the test
eSchool NewsPosted: September 28th, 2007 by R. Lee Wrights
“With some 50 or so companies now marketing emergency text-messaging systems to schools and colleges in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings last April, campus safety officials have been deluged with promises about how well these systems are able to get the word out quickly in the event of an emergency. But there has been little independent research to corroborate these claims–until now. On September 24, researchers at Purdue University conducted an experiment to test the speed and reliability of text messaging as a form of emergency communication. They found that text messaging performed well overall, with fewer than 4 percent of messages failing to reach their intended target. Still, in a crisis situation, any failure to reach students or staff members can be critical.” (09/28/07)
