Spring Break
Warning system shows improvement
Last week's tornadoes prompted Maroon Alert system into gear
Sarah-Dale Simpkins
Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: News
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Mississippi State University's Crisis Action Team activated the Maroon Alert system at first notice of the approaching weather.
Authorities first received warning of the storm system from associate professor of geosciences Mike Brown and the climatology lab Thursday morning.
Dean of Students Mike White said he received a phone call from the geosciences department at 7 a.m. He was informed that the conditions were right for severe weather.
"I alerted the vice president on call, [Bill] Kibler, and around 9 a.m. we activated the command center in anticipation of the storm system," he said.
The first notice of the impending storm was posted on the MSU Web site at 9 a.m., and a barrage of other warnings followed as the storm progressed.
"The 911 systems set the sirens off and we set instant messages and emails," White said. "Our campus radio station was blasting the message, our homepage had information, [and] we made announcements over the bell tower in the chapel and sent text messages."
Kibler said the ever-evolving Maroon Alert system is defined as a redundant communication system that allows communication by all possible outlets when emergencies arise.
"It's a mistake to depend on one way of communication with everyone," he said. "Virginia Tech learned that the hard way, sadly."
The executive decision to cancel classes from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. was made by the Crisis Action Team, which is composed of MSU President Robert 'Doc' Foglesong, the vice president's office, the dean of students office, ITS and the MSU Police Department.
Kibler said traffic on campus became heavy upon the adjourning of classes, and police were dispatched to monitor the congestion, assisting students in the midst of the weather.
"We had a lot of students run and get in their cars when classes were dismissed, which is not what we intended," he said. "A car is not the safest place to be."
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