KSU emergency system worked well, officials say

An emergency alert system notifying Kennesaw State University students of the manhunt for an escaped prisoner Tuesday went as planned, school officials said Wednesday.

Kennesaw State notified the campus community Tuesday of the police search for escapee Christopher Gay through voice and text messages and e-mail. An on-campus siren and voice-over alert immediately followed.

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Cobb County Police

Christopher Daniel Gay

Related links:
'Little Houdini' captivates KSU Video The scene Photos The search PDF Read the KSU e-mail about the incident Escapee inspires a ballad NYT describes previous escape

Bob Lang, the university’s assistant vice president for strategic security and safety, said this is the first use of the system in an actual emergency situation since testing began in December 2007.

School buildings were locked down and students and staff were told to remain inside. The lockdown was lifted late Tuesday, though evening classes were cancelled.

Lang, who was notified of the incident at a conference in New Mexico, said crisis managers kept students and staff inside most campus buildings during the lockdown.

He said a committee will review how the system worked, including why three buildings failed to lock down.

“In a situation like this one, with no preparation, I’ve been told that everything worked the way we had planned,” he said.