Thursday morning right before eleven, BYU police tested the Y alert system.
The Y alert is a system that is used to alert students and staff when an immediate threat or dangerous event is happening on campus. The BYU Police Department says it is important to frequently test the Y alert system, to ensure all parts of the system are functioning. The system uses text messaging, email, twitter, overhead pa systems and the BYU mobile app to contact people.
The system is actually tested three times a day with smaller groups of students but the campus wide Y alert system is only tested once or twice a year.
Steve Goodman, of the BYU Police Department said the following about the test:
“We do it primarily for two reasons, to make sure the system is functioning. And because it acts as a general reminder for people to subscribe so they can be informed in case of an emergency.”
All students and faculty should have received an email last Monday regarding the Y alert test this morning. This email was a reminder for people to subscribe by making sure their information is updated, which helps in alerting as many people as possible and ensuring the campus is aware of any danger that is happening.
Goodman also spoke about the mission of the BYU Police Department, which is to keep people safe by teaching them how to protect themselves and their property and detect crime. An extension of the BYU police mission can be found throughout campus with emergency boxes, security cameras, and the safe walk feature on the BYU mobile app.
Goodman says these features are here to help students and staff know that campus police are ready to help in any way. BYU police says it is important to be prepared for any situation that may arise on campus, but hope they never need to use the Y alert for a real crisis.
For more information, training and how to learn what to do in case of an emergency visit the BYU police website at police.byu.edu.
