After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, in New York and Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon, cities and states across the United States took a hard look at their current crisis management plans (CMPs). How would they respond to such a large-scale emergency? After the massacre at Virginia Tech in April 2007, cities, states, and especially universities across the United States conducted tabletop and tactical drills centering on communications. They all asked some version of the following question: how would they notify their communities to take refuge, or to leave the campus, in the event of a gunman on a rampage? What if the incident was taking place in an off-campus student housing area—how would they notify those students? Colleges and universities have expanded their responsibility for ensuring the safety of their community well beyond the traditional definition of “campus.” This new role presents many challenges, communications being at the top of the list, particularly for reaching students living in off-campus residences.

Prior to the Virginia Tech shootings, the University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Public Safety had been in the process of reviewing the existing emergency communication technology on the market. The biggest concern was how to communicate with over 52,000 faculty, staff, and students, on and off campus, during a critical, life-challenging event. In August 2007, after an extensive review process, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) partnered with MIR3 in unveiling its new UPennAlert Emergency Notification System. This new emergency notification system has been added to the existing robust public safety program.