Mississippi State University provides the Maroon Alert system to its students, faculty and staff. The system includes sirens on campus, an e-mail and text messaging service and website updates.
Thomas Bourgeois, dean of students, said the system is meant to help students prepare for dangerous conditions, but it is not meant to be relied on as the only source of information.
“We’re not going to use it for being a weather service,” he said.
Bourgeois said during the last weather event, a student did not know what to do because he did not receive a text message. However, he said the only time MSU will send out a message is when there is an imminent threat, such as a tornado actually formed and headed to campus.
“Don’t rely on cell phones for the only means of getting information, especially weather,” Bourgeois said.
However, some students like the text messages better. Brian Ledbetter, senior business administration major, said the text messages are useful and more convenient than e-mails or the website for him to receive information.
“I love getting text messages on my phone,” he said. “I don’t have to go to a computer to find out information.”
Sara Morris, sophomore undeclared major, said she thinks the system is helpful, especially the text messages.
“I don’t watch the news or anything, so [the system lets me] know when the bad weather is hitting,” she said.
She said she prefers the text messages because she is not always near a computer.
Bourgeois said not all students will get the text messages because of various transmission issues, whether a particular carrier goes down or a student is in a dead zone. However, the e-mail system has encountered problems also. Last semester, there was an anomaly in the system that has now been corrected.
He also said the text messages do not include information about Starkville, only information about campus.
Bourgeois said he advises students to take advantage of the MSU website. During an emergency, there is a yellow banner that serves as a link to more information.
“It is more economical for people to turn to one place, instead of us sending the information out,” he said.
The website will soon have a new blue advisory banner for issues needing to be addressed but are not necessarily emergencies. He said one example would be a building being closed for maintenance.
The system also includes the sirens on campus. They all have a loudspeaker, which allows anyone on campus to be able to hear an announcement. The police cars also have loudspeakers that can be tied into the siren system.
Bourgeois said he advises students to be aware of surroundings and always look for a way out. He also said when an advisory is sent out, students should exercise caution and avoid becoming an additional hazard.
Students should always have a backup and advises students buy a weather radio and tune into local news sources for more information, he said.
Messages sent through the system go through one of four incident commanders: Bill Kibler, Amy Tuck, Thomas Bourgeois and Jim Jones. Bourgeois said one of these people authorizes the message to be sent to campus and decides whether to send it as an MSU announcement or a Maroon Alert. They also decide which type of Maroon Alert it will go out as.
The Maroon Alert system encompasses much more than the text messages and e-mails, and Bourgeois said all students should learn to take advantage of it.