Auburn University and the City of Auburn have joined their technological and public safety departments to assure the safety of students.
The University was awarded the 2010 Emergency Management for Higher Education grant and is now partnering with the information technology program in Auburn to enhance the emergency preparedness of campus.
The $708,471 grant will bring developments to the Auburn and Montgomery campuses of the University.
"This is a great opportunity to better prepare our university system as a whole and to also show the collaboration between both campuses and our community partners," said Chance Corbit, associate director of public safety and security at the University.
The University approached Chris Graff, director of Geographic Information System in Auburn, in January to help implement the new program.
"You guys have a big piece, and we have a big piece," Graff said. "Let's just combine forces and avoid starting from scratch."
Graff said this is the first and biggest partnership between the University and the GIS department of Auburn, and it has been fruitful.
The mapping system will enable the police and fire department to work more effectively and efficiently when called to campus for emergency needs. It will benefit fire, criminal and other emergency response activity.
The system will allow public safety officers to obtain detailed information regarding the buildings in need of assistance before arrival or entry.
Bill James, director of public safety, said it will be another tool officers can use to help them do what they need to do.
The map will include location of fire extinguishers, occupancy numbers of each room and possibly a live feed from on-campus cameras.
Communication officers, detectives and police with laptops in their vehicles and all 911 answering services will have this information at their fingertips.
"Right now our men have to make a decision on the spot," James said.
"This would allow them to make a decision earlier being given more information, assuring that the best possible decision is made."
While these seem like small details, every second counts in emergency situations. Graff said this will take off seconds for officers.
The emergency management department at the University has improved since 2007 and is continuing to improve the system.
The University is currently in the last stages of updating its software, and the proof of concept has already been approved.
GIS has already begun making demo maps to ensure, once receiving updated data from the University, everything will run smoothly.
"I would be surprised if the system was not implemented by the beginning of the fall semester," Graff said.
Corbit said it may not seem like such emergencies could happen in Auburn, but they can.
The University strives to be prepared for anything and everything.
"It can happen here," Corbit said. "I hope it doesn't, but if it does we are ready."
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