Shots Fired at UT Campus - a Question about SA

[PeteCamp]

Perhaps there are some here who have experienced what I am asking.

If you were personally involved in a situation such as this event at UT, did you, after some careful self-examination, find the presence of a text-based device delivering crisis data that demanded your (undivided?) attention take away from or add to your situational awareness? In other words, were you more aware of what was happening in the real world, or less because of your divided attention?

I am curious if texting during a crisis is as debilitating of our situational awareness as it it is while attempting to drive while texting. And no, I have no agenda in asking this. I am curious though.

[bnc]

Part of having good SA involves filtering useful information from a large quantity of noise. If I'm in an area where guns are being fired when & where they should not be fired the last thing on my mind is a text message. In that situation you have visual and audio information coming from the actual event that trumps anything a text message from the university would give you.

It would be useful for those not in the immediate area who otherwise would not be aware of the situation. For instance, you're in the building next to the library (or wherever), you get a text message saying there is a shooting at the library, the first thing you would probably do is to look around and listen so that you can determine the event's position compared to your own. After that, you'll probably go with your gut on what to do next, so the text message is really only useful as a first alert for those who are not close enough to know about the event otherwise.

[CaptWoodrow10]

If you were close enough to hear shots fired, the first thing you should be doing is running in the opposite direction (special circumstances aside). If you're in a relatively safe area, such as a locked room, then send and check text messages with extreme caution. Always keep an eye and ear out for danger. Just my .02.

[karl]

While I was at OU the crisis alert system was very slow, not ideal for up to the minute updates. However, if this system could update students in real time about a mobile threat, I see only positives, as the updates would be very brief and only require reading.

Example text: "Armed individual heading north towards library."

It depends on the individual and how he focuses his attention. From an administrative position, I'd roll the dice that students would be better off with these updates even if a small portion of the student body can't focus attention on what's important or not.

[Ameer]

Maybe Jack Bauer can shoot and text at the same time but not me!

[Divided Attention]

JMPO from having teens and working with them... 1/2 the time they have no self awareness, and are plugged in to some sort of distraction, be it game, mp3 etc. They tune out so much "spoken" language and seem to prefer texting over talking verbally. The text might get their attention faster than an announcement over the loud speakers.

I hope that my children have enough sense to seek shelter, and both have gotten the speech about NEVER walking to their car etc while texting or talking on their phone nor with their music in both ears. When I visit the college campus it is like that phone network commercial where the girl is walking down the street and the buildings etc. are transforming around her and she is oblivious! Makes me nuts!.... stepping off soapbox now.

JMPO...
DA

[Ameer]

JMPO from having teens and working with them... 1/2 the time they have no self awareness, and are plugged in to some sort of distraction, be it game, mp3 etc.

That is true. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/ ... rents-sue/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PeteCamp]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. Pretty much along the lines I expected.

[Dave2]

Maybe Jack Bauer can shoot and text at the same time but not me!

Oh, I can totally do that. Which barn did you want me to hit? I've only gotta be 10ft away from it, right?

[Captain_Robb]

I will give this perspective. I was not on campus where the incident took place, rather I arrived on campus at about 9:15 that morning. Unfortunately I was running late that morning and hadn't looked at my cell phone before driving to campus. Once I arrived and was walking from the garage, the sirens started going off which tipped me off that something was very not right. It was then that I looked at my phone and saw the second message about the situation and directions to shelter in place.

For me, the text message was the trigger that raised my SA to red (including reminding me of the fact that I had left my pistol at home, as I was running late and going to campus and straight back home that day). I immediately went into the nearest building with heightened SA. Needless to say, I did not look at my phone again until I and a few others I had knew had secured ourselves.

At that point, when we were relatively safe, we turned to other means of gathering information about what exactly was going on, namely the good 'ol interwebs. I have thought about it since then, and the initial text message was a good thing; it alerted me to the danger, raising my SA. After that I, and no one that I saw, bothered with them until they had reached relative safety. So I didn't see it as debilitating at all in that situation. And if I had been at or closer to the site of the incident, I really wouldn't have bothered with my cell phone at all. I would be much more concerned with seeking immediate cover and safety.

So to answer your question more succinctly: the text message was good in that it immediately raised SA. It did not divide my attention or hinder my SA. Once I was alerted to the situation I was much more concerned with and focused on finding immediate safety rather than what messages were coming through on my phone.

Overall, I think with the exception of the first messages being a bit too vague, (the first message was simply "man on campus with gun, more info to follow", which we get a few times a year whenever there is a mugging on or near campus. I would have preferred "Man with Gun on campus, Do Not Come to Campus and shelter in place) I think the entire system worked well.

Lessons learned for myself:

1. Never. Never. Never Leave Pistol at Home. Even if I'm running late and going straight to campus and back home. (Normally I leave it locked locked in the car while on campus.)

2. Always check phone before leaving the house in the morning.