‘Enhanced 911’ program allows VUPD to improve response times, increase efficiency

"I don't even know which stairwell to use in case of a fire," said Isaiah Toback, a freshman who said he feels uninformed about emergency procedures and contact numbers.

It is for reasons like this that the university is launching a campaign to remind faculty and students how to report emergencies, said Vanderbilt spokesperson Mike Schoenfeld.

The Vanderbilt University Police Department Communications Center dispatched officers in response to 65,000 calls in 2006, receiving a total of 155,000.

"With students bringing cell phones - and cell phone numbers - from all over the country, it is important for everyone to know how to reach VUPD," Schoenfeld said.

Students do not need to dial 9 for an outside line to initiate police, fire or medical emergency assistance, said Chief of Police Marlon Lynch. Dialing 911 directly from any Vanderbilt exchange phone will call the VUPD Communications Center.

If calling from a cell phone, however, students must dial (615) 421-1911.

Emergency calls that come in to the communications center began displaying the location of a call in November 2006, when VUPD introduced its "Enhanced 911" service.

"This allows the dispatcher to record the location in case the caller is unable to respond or the connection is lost prior to the caller being able to state their location," Lynch said. "The overall goal of (the) Enhanced 911 service is to improve emergency response times and provide better service for the Vanderbilt community."

Whether the emergency call is fire or medical, the center has direct phone link and radio equipment with the Nashville Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services.

Sophomore Courtney Montello said she was "unaware any changes were made to the system, but is reassured to know that if there was an emergency, it would be handled swiftly and efficiently."

The administration and VUPD have been working for the past two years with Interhall and the Student Government Association to form an effective emergency contact system while imparting this information to both current and incoming students.

Nim Chinniah, deputy vice chancellor for administration and academic affairs, said the university's effort to educate students on emergency procedures is nothing new.

"These actions are an ongoing effort. This is nothing new, and nothing ending - it is a continuous process," he said.