Briefly: University to add speakers onto campus blue phones

In addition to Yale Alert text messages, phone calls and e-mails, Yale will soon have another method to notify the University community of emergencies. By October, speakers will be installed on top of all blue phones on campus, Deputy University Secretary Martha Highsmith said. Speakers that can broadcast voice messages are also being installed on all fire alarms in all buildings on campus. The new system will be particularly useful for notifying non-University affiliates on campus of an emergency. For instance, the speakers would have proved useful to notify visitors at Commencement weekend this spring of tornado warnings in effect for the area, Highsmith said. The system will be tested next month.