New Campus Safety Imperative: Text Messaging

When Better Campus Security is Crucial, Choosing the Right Communications System is Critical.

Everyone agrees: Text messaging is the most effective tool available for communicating emergency messages quickly and efficiently to large numbers of people.

This website page, prepared by the Education Division of Agile Communications Group, is designed to help high school, college and university administrators make informed decisions about which text-messaging system works best for them, whether it is Agile Communications Group or another company.

In the aftermath of the shooting deaths of 33 people on the campus of Virginia Tech University April 16, the full focus of administrators on campuses across the country turned to improved communications. In the event of an emergency, what is the best and most comprehensive way to alert and inform students, faculty and staff, and to obtain saturation coverage within a matter of seconds? Text messaging is the answer.

Why?

Because the common denominator among virtually all students in the United States is the cell phone. It goes everywhere with the owner. It is almost always turned on. And most have text messaging. Text messaging could have reached all 26,000 students and employees of Virginia Tech in a matter of seconds with warnings to stay away from the campus or to lock themselves in safe places and wait for the emergency to end.

As you navigate this site, you will find answers to the most basic questions administrators should ask before deciding which system to choose. You will learn about non-emergency uses for text-messaging systems. And, most important, you will learn how to motivate students and faculty to opt into the program. The best system in the world won't help if people don't participate.

We invite you to contact us with any questions you have about text messaging.

Agile Communications: First and foremost committed to campus security.