Flash ALERTS. What is the first thing that comes to mind when hearing this name? Maybe flashbacks to freshmen orientation or the notification that pops up on your screen every once in a while.
A good portion of Kent State can identify what, or claim to have, Flash ALERTS on their device. However, many may not understand the significance of this system or what goes into maintaining it.
Flash ALERTS are a communication network that sends notifications out to the student body, warning of potential danger to the Kent State community. The system works on all devices that are text-enabled, and can be sent regardless of time or place.
The system is not just student-oriented; staff and faculty receive notifications too. Additionally, anyone who receives Flash ALERTS due to membership in the Kent community is allowed to add up to two emergency phone contacts as well.
“Now I recommend the parents get it. At the same time, I recommend parents don’t get it sometimes, because if you’re living in like Missoula, [Montana], it’s not gonna help you, and all you’re trying to do is give you stress,” Sergeant Vance Voyles, a Kent State police officer said.
The alerts respond to anything relating to public safety. According to Voyles, notifications about weather conditions are “what happens more than anything.”
For example, a common notice is notifying the public that the Kent campus is closed for the day due to dangerous weather conditions. However, though weather alerts are the most common, the network can be utilized in a variety of other ways.
“If say, we responded to something and it was a fight between two people that were known to each other … we would not put that on a Flash ALERT because that is between two people,” Voyles said.
A notification is issued only when everyone on campus is at risk of a potential threat. For example, if someone was attacked, and the victim could not identify the suspect, a Flash ALERT can be warranted in that moment as a possible risk to the campus population, Voyles said.
Flash ALERTS are sent out by the campus dispatch center, and share a radio with local police stations. It is also the center that is in charge of its maintenance.
“When that tornado warning went out, that was when we were checking the system for routine maintenance, and we found a glitch based on what we were doing … that’s why we sent one right afterwards, because we knew that that was not happening because we were the ones working on that system at that time,” he said.
Maintenance checks occur every month to make sure that the system is functioning properly in case of a true emergency. The dispatch center is also the only place on campus where a person is in the room 24/7, which is why maintenance checks are so crucial.
“It’s because of that, that we have to make sure that all the equipment is working on a regular basis,” he said. “So, we have a dedicated IT person in our building that deals with that.”
Flash ALERTS can be added or managed through Flashline. Students should first click on their settings, scroll down the web page and click the link for Flash ALERTS. Students can add phone contacts for Flash ALERT notifications.
“Just the biggest thing here is to use that information to the best of your abilities,” Voyles said. ”Don’t go looking for the trouble. We don’t need your help in that regard unless you are assigned to do that.”
Ava Dunn is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].