Austin Peay installs Alertus Beacons to improve campus safety
By: Ethan Steinquest October 17, 2023
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University boosted its emergency warning capabilities this month by installing a series of beacons from Alertus Technologies in buildings across campus, which will support the University’s existing notification systems.
The beacons use an electronic sounder and flashing strobes to attract attention during emergencies, while a large LCD text display informs people inside the building of the situation and how to respond.
“We didn’t have many ways to provide emergency notifications in public areas inside of buildings,” said Michael Kasitz, Austin Peay’s assistant vice president for Public Safety. “People always tell me they can’t hear the outdoor sirens from inside the buildings on campus, but those are intended for people outdoors. This brings that inside and helps get our messaging out.”
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) provided funding for 20 beacons, which are being installed primarily in academic and administrative buildings. Nineteen have already been placed, and another will be located in the Kimbrough Building following its renovations.
“We looked for areas that made the most sense,” Kasitz said. “For example, there are two in the Woodward Library, two in the Morgan University Center and three in Sundquist because that’s such a large building.”
If the beacons prove helpful, Kasitz said the Department of Public Safety would like to install at least one in every building on campus.
“We’ll only set them off in the event of an emergency, or as a test to make sure everything’s functioning properly,” he said, adding that tests are planned for 11:20 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. “They’ll go off when our sirens go off, or when you get emergency text messages or the desktop pop-up … and it will be the same kind of messaging that you’d see on those platforms. It’s just another way to get our message out there.”