Spring Break
Hole In Ice Triggers Alert System
Kala Kachmar
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: News
|
Police and fire officials contacted the Tolland County Dive Team and two divers were sent into the lake to search for bodies at around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, according to UConn Police Major Ron Blicher. No signs of a disturbance were found.
Witnesses said they saw people on the ice Friday night or early Saturday morning, Blicher said.
UConn police posted the alert on the UConn student homepage at approximately 11:30 a.m. Saturday. A text message and an e-mail were sent later in the day to warn students to stay off thin ice and to see if anyone had any information about the situation, Blicher said.
"The problem with the text message system is that it's not consistent," said UConn spokesperson Karen Grava. "Students don't receive it for hours."
Grava said the university is looking for a vendor that can send out the text messages in a more concentrated manner.
UConn Police did not sound the sirens on the public announcement system or activate the code blue phones for the emergency, Blicher said. The purpose of the alert system was to see if anyone could contribute information and to warn students that the ice on Swan and Mirror lakes is not thick enough to walk on.
If anyone has any information regarding the incident, they can call the UConn Police at (860) 486-4800.
Contact Kala Kachmar at
Kala.Kachmar@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
hut
posted 2/25/08 @ 12:21 PM EST
I have a good feeling that this text message system will be incorrectly used by UConn administrators/emergency personnel. Rather than sending a text message about a minor incident (a hole in ice), the text messaging system should be used for major incidents, the kind that you hope never will happen. (Continued…)
Herma Hawthorne
posted 2/26/08 @ 1:17 PM EST
I am a parent of a freshman and a little disturbed. Please do all that is possible to draw attention to the need for added safety systems.
herma
Post a Comment