WMU to change emergency alert system

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Western Michigan University officials say they're looking at campus security measures in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting as well as recent issues with its emergency alert system.

The WMU Alert System is designed to quickly send thousands of automated calls to students in the event of an emergency.

The Kalamazoo school says it twice activated the system when armed robberies recently occurred on campus, but received mixed reviews regarding its effectiveness.

And the fatal shootings of 20 students and six staff members Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., prompted Western Michigan President John Dunn to re-examine campus safety.

In an interview Tuesday with the Kalamazoo Gazette and WMUK-FM, Dunn said the school plans to change its emergency system vendor and is considering expanding its police force.