NMSU Emergency Alert System 

The university's new Emergency Alert System, a telephone  network for disseminating urgent information on the main campus, will be tested in several buildings each fall.  A test message will be sent to telephones in the academic and other buildings.  Departments are evaluated on timeliness and order in exiting the building. Occupants are interviewed to obtain satisfaction with the process. 

The new EAS system is capable of sending emergency messages to all telephones on the main campus or to specific buildings or groups, depending on the circumstances. The system is being operated and maintained jointly by the campus Police Department, Fire Department, Information and Communication  Technologies, and Environmental Health and Safety. When the EAS is activated by the police dispatch center, a message specific to the incident will be delivered by the phone network to affected or targeted groups

The message typically will include a brief description of the emergency, provide direction for any immediate action and tell where to go for more information. Additional information is provided on the web and via the University announcement line by University Communications.

Mapping
The University will use the building lists and campus maps within the system to ensure all appropriate campus areas: academic, agricultural, athletic building and campus housing areas are informed, as pertinent, in emergency notifications.

Building selection example (for buildings around the Horseshoe)

It is often best to notify the people closest to the incident first.  This feature can save lives effectively by getting instructions to those closest to the incident first.  The system can create different zones in the notification area and first notify those closest to the incident.  
 
Zone Calling 

The system can send out notification to fixed lists of phones. These lists include student residences, all official university offices in the area, emergency response groups (Police, fire, EH&S, Facilities Services, Health Care) and the Central Administration Response Team (CART).  It is important to notify the affected  emergency staff and or emergency response teams, so these teams can be called to action. This system allows fixed lists of people that can be notified. This gets the fastest response time and gets them on the way to the incident or their assigned duties.  The system can call one or many lists instantly as well as the campus area notification.