K-12 Mass Notification: A Q&A with Des Moines Public Schools
By Kara Stamets, Content Marketing Specialist at Alertus Technologies
Des Moines, Iowa’s capital city, has the largest public school system in the state, hosting over 30,000 students, 5,000 teachers and staff members combined, and 68 facilities. Since 2018, Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) has entrusted Alertus to provide comprehensive coverage across their school system.
We spoke with DMPS Network Specialist Lisa Simpson, and Facilities Services Director James Wilkerson, to learn more about their experience as Alertus customers.
What challenges did you initially face that led you to consider an emergency mass notification system?
“In 2018, we started looking for a mass notification system (MNS) for three main reasons: to provide accurate severe weather alerts, disseminate information across a vast number of buildings in our district, and automate our communication system,” said Simpson. “The weather radios we previously had were unreliable and didn’t get signal in all buildings, and with such a large district to manage, we needed to figure out how to disperse critical events to district leadership quickly.”
DMPS also has a 24/7 dispatch center, so they wanted to optimize the response time for dispatchers to get critical information to first responders rather than taking extra time to communicate.
Did your organization already have an emergency notification system in place?
“DMPS did not have an emergency notification system in place, but we did have a Motorola radio system with a channel designated for district-wide emergencies, another channel for the security department, and other communication channels to communicate just within the building,” said Simpson.
Why did you choose Alertus for your emergency notification needs?
DMPS ultimately decided to partner with Alertus for two main reasons:
Cost
Functionality
“Selecting Alertus as our MNS provider made the most sense because it is a cost-effective solution, meets our specific needs, and functions exactly how we need it to,” said Wilkerson.
“The management aspect of the system is also a huge relief because of our large size and widespread locations,” added Simpson. “DMPS uses Active Directory to target alerts, making it easier to manage for a large organization with employees constantly coming, going, and changing position,” continues Simpson. “When staff members are added to our network, they are automatically added to Active Directory groups according to their building, position, and other identifiers. By utilizing Active Directory and targeting groups based on those identifiers, we don’t have to manually manage them in the Alertus System.”
What were you hoping to achieve with the Alertus System?
“When we started our search for an MNS, we were looking for a more reliable source for weather alerts. With Alertus, we have achieved that and much more,” said Simpson.
Alertus was the only MNS she could find that could leverage many different modes of communications, while other systems at that time were more specialized in just one type of notification or more costly, according to Simpson.
“We developed a proof of concept to test that Alertus could be automated to trigger alerts from various sources and send the alerts via multiple modes, and so far, we have implemented desktop, mobile, and email alerts. We hope to expand into utilizing radios and digital signage in the upcoming school year and eventually integrate them with our access control system, fire alarm, and PA systems.”
“Alertus has been very responsive and helps find solutions promptly,” added Wilkerson, in regards to customer support.
What products did you purchase from Alertus, and how did they solve your initial challenges?
“As of now, we are using Alertus’ Software Solutions, including the Alertus Activator App, Alertus ThreatWatcher™, and the Rapid Response Console – a portable device (like an iPad) our dispatchers use to work with first responders while connected to WiFi,” said Simpson. “We also send Alertus Desktop™ Notifications through the console to target users.”
Have you used or activated the Alertus System in any emergencies?
“Yes, many times,” says Simpson. “We’ve initiated several lockdowns due to emergencies in the community, and we also use the Alertus System for utility outages and other notifications and would potentially like to use the system for non-critical notifications, such as pep rally announcements.”
“The system works great, activations go out quickly, and information is distributed to various stakeholders and responders simultaneously,” said Wilkerson.
Why do you think having a mass notification solution is essential for schools?
“It comes down to moral, ethical, and legislative reasons, but to serve our end users and protect our community members, we need to be able to communicate fast and effectively,” said Wilkerson. “At times, our schools are used for reunification sites or temporary shelters, so having an MNS in place is important. I also like that the Alertus System is adaptable and modular, so modes of communication can easily be added.”
What are your overall sentiments about your Alertus System?
“It is a solid product that has met our needs, exceeded our goals, and helped us get outside our communications box,” said Wilkerson.
DMPS is now looking into expanding into digital signage and radios with Alertus.