The tragic events of Virginia Tech University last week were a horrible tragedy.  Our Country continues to mourn the loss of all the students and professors whose lives where robbed short of their full potential. 

This post is in no way an attempt to second guess the efforts of any police officer or rescue personnel.

However, the campus police department has come under scrutiny (by some) for their actions and an investigation is under way.  Regardless of the outcome of this investigation, there is only one question that matters. 

Could this have been prevented? or some how contained? 

Again, I'm in no position to attempt to answer that question, but it does raise the question as to how we respond to emergencies and tragedies.  Hurricane Katrina, 9-11, Virginia Tech, in all of these cases response times and communication played a key role in the outcome of the tragedy.

The key to successfully handling any disaster, whether man made or natural is to have an early warning system and good preparedness.  The U.S.A currently uses the Emergency Alert System, which replaced the Emergency Broadcast System in 1994. 

Emergency Broadcast System -a design from the cold war. 

The E.A.S. system is nothing more than an enhancement to the E.B.S. system that was developed during the cold war to warn of nuclear attacks.  This system allows the President to instantly take over the radio/TV and satellite airwaves to communicate emergency information.  (Interestingly enough this system was not used on 9.11.2001).   

Many states also have their own emergency broadcast systems, employing items like, air raid sirens that sound in advance of tornadoes, or radio and TV scrolling messages during periods of floods are powerful storms.  While these systems have served their purpose, I think its time we catch up with technology and find better ways to disseminate emergency information.

Cell Phones and Text Messages to the rescue.

Just about everyone these days has a cell phone capable of receiving text messages. (even if you aren't paying for a text service, the phone is usually capable of this.)  Cell phones with text capabilities are by design poised for immediate dissemination of information.  Think about this.  How often do you leave your house without your cell phone? Who do you know that doesn't have a cell phone?  Sure, there are some people that don't have one, but there's also people that don't have radio and TV's.   The mobility and flexibility of a cell phone can allow emergency personnel to send a message directly to you and give you life saving information.  Odds are that your phone is with you all day long, unlike a radio or TV that might be turned off.

I don't know enough about cellular technology to comment on how well our current system can handle the load of a National crisis, but the technology is certainly available and we need to put this into use right away.  Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, T-mobile and all cell phone carriers are regulated by the FCC, whom controls who and how information is transmitted.  Each of these providers are constantly offering a whole host of text services from sports, news, mortgage rates, stock tickers and more.  Emergency services needs to be at the top of their list.  

I recently heard a radio commercial on how to sign up for wireless amber alert text messages on my cell phone and while I thought this was a great idea and signed up for it.  I also thought to myself, why do I need to sign up for this?  Just send the message to everyone -- there is a child is in need.  Why are we waiting for people to sign up?

It's my understanding that a system such as I describe in this post was being tested at Virginia Tech and there are private companies such as ravewireless that are pursuing a system such as this.  Unfortunately the system at Virginia Tech was not activated and was still in test mode.  We'll never know how that could have made a difference, but we do know that we can't continue to rely on an emergency broadcast system that was designed in the 60's.  We live in a volatile world and information during and emergency is critical.  Its time we use our technology to the fullest -- It will save lives.

Martin