Companies See Demand For Instant Emergency Alerts
Local School Uses Red Alert System
Updated: 7:18 am CDT May 9, 2007
MADISON, Wis. -- As security threats at schools and businesses become more common, two local companies are seeing an increased demand for technology that instantly alerts people to emergencies.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportEZ School Alert, a new company that was developed after the Weston High School shooting, delivers instant communications to parents about emergencies, school closings and informational reminders.Amtelco, a 30-year-old business in McFarland, sells a notification system called Red Alert. It allows a school, business or government to send emergency messages. The messages are sent in the method selected by users, including phone, text message, page and e-mail.Interest in Amtelco's system has increased dramatically since the Virginia Tech Shootings, WISC-TV reported."Our inflow of Red Alert requests and hits on our site has been 365 percent," said Tim Brady, Amtelco regional manager."It probably wasn't until the Virginia Tech incident that schools really started to look and say, 'Do we have capabilities, do we have the ability to notify our parents, our students and other relatives instantly?'" said Steve Van Dinter, CEO of EZ School Alert.Our Lady Queen of Peace School is using the Red Alert system, which costs a minimum of $30,000.The school's principal said the system allows officials to get information to parents and staff at a moment's notice."I could contact every parent in a matter of minutes," said Stephen Bolser, principal of Our Lady Queen of Peace School. "We can do the initial phone setup and call within five minutes."The EZ School Alert information system costs from $1,000 to $5,000."We can offer them full text message capabilities, e-mail and pages and reach all their parents within two to five minutes, and we can do that for about one-fifth of the cost," Van Dinter said.In the EZ School Alert System, parents access a customized Web site and enter information on how best to reach them."We can reach people instantly, where the communications methods we have right now are frankly archaic," Van Dinter said.While EZ School Alert is marketed exclusively to schools and small colleges, Amtelco's Red Alert system can be used in schools, hospitals and any businesses. Both companies said that the biggest practical use for the technology is for school closings.Amtelco just landed a huge federal government contract, selling its Red Alert system to FEMA.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportEZ School Alert, a new company that was developed after the Weston High School shooting, delivers instant communications to parents about emergencies, school closings and informational reminders.Amtelco, a 30-year-old business in McFarland, sells a notification system called Red Alert. It allows a school, business or government to send emergency messages. The messages are sent in the method selected by users, including phone, text message, page and e-mail.Interest in Amtelco's system has increased dramatically since the Virginia Tech Shootings, WISC-TV reported."Our inflow of Red Alert requests and hits on our site has been 365 percent," said Tim Brady, Amtelco regional manager."It probably wasn't until the Virginia Tech incident that schools really started to look and say, 'Do we have capabilities, do we have the ability to notify our parents, our students and other relatives instantly?'" said Steve Van Dinter, CEO of EZ School Alert.Our Lady Queen of Peace School is using the Red Alert system, which costs a minimum of $30,000.The school's principal said the system allows officials to get information to parents and staff at a moment's notice."I could contact every parent in a matter of minutes," said Stephen Bolser, principal of Our Lady Queen of Peace School. "We can do the initial phone setup and call within five minutes."The EZ School Alert information system costs from $1,000 to $5,000."We can offer them full text message capabilities, e-mail and pages and reach all their parents within two to five minutes, and we can do that for about one-fifth of the cost," Van Dinter said.In the EZ School Alert System, parents access a customized Web site and enter information on how best to reach them."We can reach people instantly, where the communications methods we have right now are frankly archaic," Van Dinter said.While EZ School Alert is marketed exclusively to schools and small colleges, Amtelco's Red Alert system can be used in schools, hospitals and any businesses. Both companies said that the biggest practical use for the technology is for school closings.Amtelco just landed a huge federal government contract, selling its Red Alert system to FEMA. Copyright 2007 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
