In an unsettling incident on Tuesday, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) students across its Atlanta and Savannah campuses were mistakenly sent a live active shooter alert. Originally intended as a system check, according to FOX 5 Atlanta, the drill was erroneously broadcast in real-time, creating immediate concern throughout the academic community.
A representative for SCAD expressed sincere apologies for the error, stating, "We apologize for any stress or inconvenience this caused our community." The emergency notification, which provided instructions on how to act in an active shooter situation, was followed up "immediately" by a message clarifying that there was, in fact, no active threat on campus. The corrective follow-up aimed to quell any distress the initial alert might have caused among students, faculty, and staff, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Further clarification was offered in a statement obtained by Atlanta News First, where a SCAD spokesperson said, "There is no active shooter on any SCAD campus. The alert was inadvertently sent out. All locations are clear.” The tests are part of SCAD's commitment to maintaining a functional emergency alert system, with the spokesperson adding, "SCAD frequently tests the emergency alert system to ensure it is working properly." Unfortunately, the test on Tuesday went awry when the message was dispatched in live mode rather than test mode.
In the aftermath of the incident, the university has been proactive in reaching out to the students who were affected by the miscommunication, providing support and counseling as needed. This initiative underscores the institution's stated priority: “Today’s message was accidentally sent in live mode and not test mode. There was no active threat, and a follow up message was immediately sent to the entire SCAD community stating that there was no active threat at any SCAD location. We apologize for any stress or inconvenience this caused our community. The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff are the university’s top priorities. SCAD has reached out to all students who were impacted by this inadvertent message and is offering support and counseling," as echoed in Atlanta News First. With the accidental alert now retracted and the situation stabilized, SCAD is likely to review its procedures to prevent similar episodes in the future.
