Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Emergency response system springs to life after Virginia Tech shooting
By Amanda Venable
The University Star (Texas State U.-San Marcos)
02/12/2008

(U-WIRE) SAN MARCOS, Texas — Virginia Tech survivor Garrett Evans tours the nation, telling his story and speaking out on how he thinks schools can foster safer campuses.

Evans is touring to promote VadoMedia, a for-profit business that offers free school dispatching as an emergency alert system. The service is funded through sponsorship. Schools must be willing to receive advertisements from local backers in order to use the service.

"Our goal is to get this in as many schools as possible," cofounder Brian Klaasmeyer said. "The smaller school districts are the ones that really need it. Most of them do not have the budget for this."

VadoMedia provides services similar to Texas State's Bobcat Mobile. The idea is to create a mobile community for reaching students in emergencies by sending a text message to subscribers' cell phones.

Because dispatching is free, schools are required to sign a contract allowing sponsors to use the system to send advertisements. Businesses affiliated with the selling of alcohol, cigarettes or anything sexually explicit are not sent out, Klaasmeyer said.

VadoMedia started in response to Virginia Tech.

"I had a lot of friends that were alumni from Virginia Tech, and we knew there could be something done," Klaasmeyer said.

"We knew text messaging is what kids are using now."

VadoMedia contacted Evans by e-mail, asking him to serve as spokesman for the service. Evans is listed as cofounder of the company.

"I thought it was a great idea," Evans said. "I wish we would have had this at my school. The second shooting would have been prevented if we did."

Evans had been in German class when fellow student Seung-Hui Cho entered and began shooting. Evans was shot in the leg and left behind a desk watching Cho commit the largest school shooting in history. The Virginia Tech Massacre left 33 people dead.

"I am really blessed to be alive," Evans said. "Seeing what I saw and my experiences I do not wish on anyone. I saw people I know get killed. I saw people fighting for their lives."

Evans said if Virginia Tech had a service similar to VadoMedia, the students on campus would have known about the first shooting. He said people would not have gone to class, which was where the second shooting took place.

Bobcat Mobile is Texas State's emergency alert system. Students may sign-up for free to receive messages from Bobcat Mobile.

Alyssa Douglass, undecided sophomore, said having Bobcat Mobile makes her feel safe.

"I like knowing what is going on around campus," Douglas said. "I know they are supposed to send out a message if something bad happens at the school."

Evans said school dispatching is a way to communicate during emergencies, but students have a responsibility to create a positive environment.

"If students would just get out of that concept of finding students just like them, that would really help," Evans said. "It really should not matter what sport, fraternity or club you are in. Different is supposed to be good. Differences are supposed to bring us together."

Evans said schools should not be a place where individuals are allowed to carry guns.

"If we were able to carry guns at Virginia Tech, I would tell you that would be a real bad place to be," he said. "Guns on campus are only making this situation worse and making people uncomfortable. If you want to change your environment, you make it positive."

Evans is getting paid to promote VadoMedia, but he said it is not about the money.

"The main thing is, I am in it because I do not want people to go through what I went through," Evans said. "It is not about money, it is about saving lives."

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