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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
UNC Emergency Alert System Inefficient?
In the latest of a series of scares at UNC, a bomb threat was not reported to the campus emergency alert system until more than two hours after it was received.
At 9 pm on Sunday, February 15th, a bomb threat was called in to Orange County 911, stating an explosive device had been planted at “The Pit,” a campus gathering place popular among UNC students and located near the center of the campus. UNC students subscribed to the Alert Carolina crisis notification system were alerted to the situation via text message, but not until 11:30 that night.
Several students were disturbed by the long delay. Many actually found news about the incident via online news services before receiving official word from Alert Carolina. A statement from Alert Carolina explained that first priority was given to evacuating the immediately endangered area and assessing whether the threat was genuine. Students feel a higher priority should have been given to campus notification.
Officials evacuated buildings surrounding The Pit and swept the area. They found no explosives or other indication that the threat was genuine. Evacuated students returned to their dorms on Monday.
The campus notification system was instituted at UNC after the fatal shootings in April, 2007. Failure to provide adequate notification regarding potential threats to the campus could open the university to civil litigation regarding liability or negligence if a threat proves genuine, and injuries or fatalities result.
If you or a loved one has suffered injury or loss due to negligence on the part of a business owner, property owner, or institution, The Cochran Firm can help. Please contact the experienced wrongful death and premises liability attorneys at the Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina office of The Cochran Firm to schedule a confidential consultation.
At 9 pm on Sunday, February 15th, a bomb threat was called in to Orange County 911, stating an explosive device had been planted at “The Pit,” a campus gathering place popular among UNC students and located near the center of the campus. UNC students subscribed to the Alert Carolina crisis notification system were alerted to the situation via text message, but not until 11:30 that night.
Several students were disturbed by the long delay. Many actually found news about the incident via online news services before receiving official word from Alert Carolina. A statement from Alert Carolina explained that first priority was given to evacuating the immediately endangered area and assessing whether the threat was genuine. Students feel a higher priority should have been given to campus notification.
Officials evacuated buildings surrounding The Pit and swept the area. They found no explosives or other indication that the threat was genuine. Evacuated students returned to their dorms on Monday.
The campus notification system was instituted at UNC after the fatal shootings in April, 2007. Failure to provide adequate notification regarding potential threats to the campus could open the university to civil litigation regarding liability or negligence if a threat proves genuine, and injuries or fatalities result.
If you or a loved one has suffered injury or loss due to negligence on the part of a business owner, property owner, or institution, The Cochran Firm can help. Please contact the experienced wrongful death and premises liability attorneys at the Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina office of The Cochran Firm to schedule a confidential consultation.
Labels: Raleigh
posted by Benjamin A. Irwin at 12:03 PM
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