Successful alerts
UCLA is ready to respond with emergency mass notification
AtHoc. In light of emergency events affecting schools in the last few years, campus officials throughout the nation have begun using emergency mass-notification systems to help protect the people and property under their watch.
Like many colleges and universities, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), faced a challenge: how to safeguard the students, faculty and staff who live and work across its 419-acre campus.
To bolster the existing alerting capabilities, UCLA sought a reliable, network-centric emergency alerting system that could reach the nearly 49,000 students, faculty and staff quickly by unifying multiple communication channels and devices, such as cell phones, BlackBerry devices and networked computers.
UCLA found AtHoc IWSAlerts, a unified, network-centric alerting solution that uses an existing IP network and turns it into a reliable and effective mass-notification system. UCLA now uses a comprehensive alerting system that can reach the campus population simultaneously through many channels, including computers, telephones (mobile and landline), text messaging, e-mail, campus sirens, campus cable TV, campus radio and the Emergency Digital Information System.
The first critical test of the UCLA alert system happened in July 2008, when a 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit Los Angeles.
Within minutes, UCLA emergency managers triggered their "BruinAlert" to notify the campus population of the earthquake. The first alerts were sent to students, faculty and staff, who received a combination of desktop notifications, e-mails and text messages. They were informed that an earthquake had occurred, were warned about aftershocks, and directed to tune into the campus radio station for additional instructions. With a reach of more than 97 percent of the campus population, the system successfully notified individuals within minutes.
Select the September 2009 issue RSN number 163 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Hose bibb locks
ConservCo Water Conservation Products, LLC. Hose Bibb Lock model #DSL-2, designed to protect any standard ¾-inch outdoor faucet or hose spigot, includes a padlock. The locks prevent water theft and vandalism; water cannot flow even if the handle is turned to the full open position because the locks create a watertight seal when secured in place.
Select the September 2009 issue RSN number 160 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Custom-color lockers
Lyon Workspace Products. Custom colors are available via a selection of locker configurations in 30 premier colors or the company's computerized color-matching system. The powder-coating process provides 1.5 to 2.0 mil coverage at no extra cost.
Select the September 2009 issue RSN number 161 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.
Pedestrian control gate
Dudley Gates, Inc. This ADA-compliant, bi-directional gate installs in hours for pedestrian-control applications. All closer adjustments are at the top of the gate, enabling staff to adjust gates using simple hand tools. A patented built-in closer mechanism eliminates the need to open the floor for maintenance. Each gate can be custom-designed to meet a school's exact needs.
Select the September 2009 issue RSN number 162 on AS&U's Product Information site for more information.