SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University has won the 2008 Campus Technology Innovators award for implementing an IPICS system that enables first responders throughout Rhode Island and nearby states to communicate with one another regardless of the communication equipment they use. Noting that all campuses are focusing on their safety and security today, the monthly magazine praised Bryant for taking "current safety and security measures to another level,” particularly in its efforts to make sure school and government emergency responders can communicate easily and effectively. IPICS stands for Internet Protocol Interoperability and Collaboration System. Developed by Cisco Systems, IPICS has the ability to share simultaneously – with the push of one button – firsthand information from the source directly to the groups of people who need it, no matter where they are or what they use to communicate, be it regular phone, cell phone, computer or hand-held radio. Think of it as a virtual conference call in which everyone simultaneously gets all the information they need to respond quickly to emergencies and make quick group decisions. “Through community partnerships and a sleek IP interoperability and collaboration system, [Bryant] protects its own campus and communities across and outside the state,” the magazine said. IPICS grew out of the Sept. 11 World Trade Center tragedy, when police and fire battalions, each talking on independent frequencies, were unable to share critical information with one another. Bryant uses IPICS daily to enable direct radio communication among campus public safety, campus management and residential life departments. But after the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech, the University realized that IPICS had the potential to connect campus public safety officials to one another and to off-campus safety officials during a crisis. Working closely with fire chiefs in Smithfield, Bryant extended IPICS to a number of public safety agencies, first in Smithfield, then to the neighboring communities of North Smithfield, Cumberland, Glocester, Foster, Woonsocket and nearby Connecticut’s Quinebaug Valley Regional Dispatch Center. The University also connected with Rhode Island's E-911, the R.I. chapter of the American Red Cross, the state’s Emergency Management Agency, and with other college campuses in Rhode Island. To date, the IPICS network expansion has cost less than $10,000, and already it has proven its value. Last winter, an auto accident occurred on the Rhode Island/Connecticut border. A motorist placed a 911 call, which was relayed to the Quinebaug Valley Regional Dispatch Center. With the click of the IPICS button, the dispatcher was able to get additional details and immediately alert the various Rhode Island public safety officials responsible for the area where the accident occurred. The full Campus Technology article is available online: http://campustechnology.com/articles/65872/
Contact: Tracie Sweeney, Bryant University Email: tsweeney@bryant.edu Phone: (401) 232-6391