NC State is bolstering its emergency response capabilities through comprehensive drills and new technology, aiming to ensure campus safety in the face of potential crises.
The University’s Emergency Management and Mission Continuity team, led by Todd Becker, works closely with the NC State Police Department to coordinate and improve emergency preparedness across campus.
“We want students to be prepared, faculty and staff to be prepared, if you’re on campus or off campus,” Becker said. “We try to give you the tools to make informed decisions if you find yourself in a scary situation.”
The Wolf Alert system, a multi-faceted emergency notification platform, remains at the core of NC State’s safety infrastructure. It employs various communication methods, including outdoor sirens, text messages, emails, social media posts and digital signage updates.
“Wolf Alert is intended for imminent threats, something that has happened on campus where we want to alert the community and have them take action to stay safe,” Becker said.
In March, the University conducted a wide-scale test of the Wolf Alert system, aiming to familiarize the campus community with its various components and ensure all systems functioned correctly. Becker said the test received positive feedback, with many appreciating the demonstration of how different alert methods work together and plans to conduct another Wolf Alert drill on Sept. 13 and an active shooter drill in November.
Police Chief Daniel House emphasized the evolving nature of these exercises.
“We’ve been doing campus-wide drills for a long time, but we’re trying to integrate more things into it,” House said. “This year, we’re really trying to concentrate on some of those downstream things and how we handle those.”
The upcoming drill will focus on an active shooter scenario, involving campus police in addition to local law enforcement, fire departments and emergency medical services. House said it is imperative to coordinate with external partners to ensure a seamless response during real emergencies.
“The question in my mind has always been, ‘How is this going to be when it comes to command and control?’” House said. “Are we all on the same sheet of music? Do we know where our staging areas are going to be? Do we know where we’re going to evacuate people to?”
To enhance coordination, the University has established a Resiliency Operation Center, formerly known as the Emergency Operation Center. This upgraded facility serves as a central command post during large-scale events or emergencies, equipped with advanced technology to monitor various data streams and facilitate communication between different agencies and NC State departments.
“Rather than everybody having this stuff on their laptop, we’d have a central location where we could pipe it all in, and we can invite stakeholders,” House said.
House said the police department has also implemented a new organizational structure for emergency response, assigning specific roles to officers in advance. This approach aims to streamline operations during critical incidents, with designated personnel handling tasks such as managing staging areas, traffic control and evacuations.
In terms of technology, House said NC State has invested in new weapon detection systems, replacing traditional magnetometers at Carter-Finley Stadium and other campus locations. These advanced systems can process up to 2,000 people per hour, significantly improving security efficiency at large events.
“It was a large investment, but well worth it,” House said. “We’re very happy and proud to have those. Not every stadium has them.”
While the November drill is scheduled during a student break to minimize disruption, both Becker and House said they are interested in involving students in future exercises.
“We would love to have people involved,” House said. “Especially students, because we get a perspective from the student as we respond to these things.”
As NC State continues to enhance its emergency preparedness, both the Emergency Management and Mission Continuity team and the police department stress the importance of community involvement and feedback. They encourage students, faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with the Wolf Alert system and participate in drills when possible.
“At the end of the day, their focus is about keeping this campus safe,” House said. “We pride ourselves on being the tip of the spear, trying to be the best of the best and knowing that anytime something happens, Murphy’s law kicks in. But having the best-laid plan we possibly can minimizes the impact when things do go wrong.”
