When it comes to emergency management, nothing is more important than being prepared. Cal Poly’s Public Safety unit strives to be well equipped for any and all emergencies, with the goal of reducing as much harm as possible to the campus community. Staying prepared requires a lot of support and resources.
Cal Poly is proud to announce that the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has been awarded $100,000 through the 2019-2020 School Communications Interoperability Grant Program (SCIGP).
The objective of the SCIGP is to provide funds to support the acquisition of interoperable communications technology. Interoperable technology enables local fire and law enforcement agencies to connect, coordinate and communicate to security technology systems installed in schools. This type of technology is particularly important when responding to active shooter incidents. SCIGP specifically allocates these funds to California community colleges and schools in the California State University system.
According to Emergency Services Manager, Dave Lee, the department is in the process of leveraging this funding to improve the university’s response capabilities in the event of an active shooter. New interoperable communication technology will greatly improve Cal Poly’s ability to protect and serve the campus community.
To date, Cal Poly has completed two of four projects regarding equipment. The first project included installing and operating a mass notification system. This is also known as Poly Alerts. Next, Cal Poly was able to purchase 11 laptops and three monitors specifically for Cal Poly Public Safety.
The remaining two projects consist of acquiring three plug-and-play P25-compliant base station/repeaters as well as 19 P25-compliant mobile radios. These two remaining projects will work to increase radio coverage and allow for upgrades within dispatch and units.
Thanks to SCIGP, Cal Poly students, staff and faculty can look towards a safer campus where all can feel safe and protected.