UPD and Telecommunications roll out new mass notification system

University Police and other SUNY New Paltz safety officers have a new tool for alerting students, faculty and staff to important developments on campus and in the community.

The new system, called “SingleWire/Informacast,” enables the University Police Department (UPD) to transmit messages directly to the new phones currently being installed in offices across campus by the College’s Telecommunications staff, and to new scrolling marquees in residence halls.

“More than 750 of these new phones have already gone on-line, and soon the entire campus will follow suit,” said UPD Chief David Dugatkin. “With software based in UPD, and thanks to the tireless support of our friends in Telecom, we can now broadcast both audible and text messages over the phone and in all residence halls.”

The telecom system is just the newest of an array of media that the UPD and other campus safety officers have implemented in recent years to communicate clearly and efficiently with the New Paltz community.

Examples include the campus-wide NPAlert system, which empowers students, faculty and staff to receive up-to-the-minute news regarding emergencies and disruptions of services via phone, text or email, and the SUNY New Paltz Campus Safety App, recently developed as a free tool for College students to keep in touch with family, friends and University Police at any time of day, on or off campus.

These modern systems supplement long-standing but still effective emergency communications tools, including the INFO line (845-257-INFO) and the trusty PA and siren system.

More information about Emergency Management at SUNY New Paltz is available online.