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Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

emergency.mit.net

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Re: Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

#11

Post by homosaur »

untog wrote: post #5

Don't wish to make light of this at all, but I do wonder- how often does this happen? After all, "shots fired" is not an uncommon thing in many cities in the US. I just wonder whether we will look back in 12 months time at the "week of hell" and realise that it was actually just a week in which we found all the things that usually go on every week that we don't hear about.

Some crime happens on a college campus probably every day. Most likely hundreds of violent crimes a year. But the reason this is on HN is MIT, nothing more.

Re: Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

#12

Post by emily37 »

untog wrote: post #5

Don't wish to make light of this at all, but I do wonder- how often does this happen? After all, "shots fired" is not an uncommon thing in many cities in the US. I just wonder whether we will look back in 12 months time at the "week of hell" and realise that it was actually just a week in which we found all the things that usually go on every week that we don't hear about.

Just heard on the police scanner that it was an armed robbery at the 7-11.

Re: Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

#13

Post by weisser »

hiddenfeatures wrote: post #4

I find it very interesting, that there are such websites. I wonder whether it works, but I guess that if only one life is saved by a notice on a website, that is enough

This is beamed out to sites that people are actually likely to be looking at meaning it is all inbound to that link. I saw it appear on my FB feed moments after it was posted. My Tweetdeck column for "MIT shooter" is moving nearly as rapidly as the one for #BostonMarathonExplosion and almost everyone is sharing the link to them MIT site.

Re: Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

#18

Post by fredleblanc »

hiddenfeatures wrote: post #4

I find it very interesting, that there are such websites. I wonder whether it works, but I guess that if only one life is saved by a notice on a website, that is enough

My last job was doing websites for higher education, and I can tell you that it's very much a thing. It's a part of many universities' emergency protocols, sometimes paired with an alert banner on the homepage. (And that banner may or may not link to a further page of information.)

While things like a gunman on campus is most certainly an emergency, these systems also serve other messages. Things like other emergencies (earthquakes, for example), snow days, we're just testing the emergency alarms today, etc.

Edit because I had another thought: the whole field of emergency preparedness in higher education is rather fascinating. Most of what I found interesting I had heard second-hand from clients, but you might find it quite interesting.

Re: Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

#19

Post by jason_pr »

27182818284 wrote: post #6
hiddenfeatures wrote: post #4

I find it very interesting, that there are such websites. I wonder whether it works, but I guess that if only one life is saved by a notice on a website, that is enough

At this point that most higher-ed websites not only have their emergency website, but also a whole system. A lot of universities send out text messages simultaneously.

Yup. These messages are also sent to MIT students (and, I assume, faculty) via text message, automated phone call, and email.

Re: Shots fired at MIT - report of an active shooter near Bldg. 32 (Stata)

#20

Post by homosaur »

hiddenfeatures wrote: post #4

I find it very interesting, that there are such websites. I wonder whether it works, but I guess that if only one life is saved by a notice on a website, that is enough

At my old uni, you could submit a cell number to an emergency alert system and you would get texts if something like this went down. I'm guessing MIT has something similar although not sure if this system is part of it. I'm sure someone will clarify soon.
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