CCSU graduate makes a gift of new emergency warning system to help assure campus safety

NEW BRITAIN -- December 7, 2007 – Personal safety will move up a notch on the campus of Central Connecticut State University thanks to the gift of a successful graduate.

Philip W. Kurze, a 1972 CCSU graduate, is donating a Whelen Mass Notification Warning System to his alma mater to, as he says, “help assure the safety of students, faculty, employees and campus visitors.”

Kurze, who is vice president of the company that makes the Whelen Mass Notification Warning Systems, says they “provide warning and direction for people around the world who are subject to hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, wild-fires, earthquakes, mud-slides, volcanoes, hazardous chemical releases and other man-made or natural disasters.

“They can also be used to alert and inform college and university campuses in the event of emergency situations.  The Whelen Mass Notification Warning System is an effective and efficient means to alert and inform large numbers of people because students, faculty members, and visitors do not need a personal device to receive the warning,” Kurze notes.

“In view of heightened personal security concerns in the post-9/11 world, we welcome the arrival of this new state-of-the-art system to add a further measure of public safety to our campus,” said CCSU President Jack Miller.

“Current thinking about emergency notification is for institutions to have a multi-tiered approach featuring just such outdoor warning devices plus coordinated web, email, and telephonic systems,” added Richard Bachoo, the university’s chief administrative officer, whose responsibilities include public safety.  “With a new CSUS system-wide emergency notifier coming online some time in the new year, Philip Kurze’s generous gift will provide a critical piece for Central’s campus security.”

 “It is truly gratifying when a Central alum reflects on the benefits of the education received here and responds in such a generous manner,” said Christopher Galligan, vice president for institutional advancement.

For Philip Kurze, however, helping CCSU keep current in security for anyone on the New Britain campus is a family affair.  He states: “I am proud to say that, in addition to my being a Central alumnus, my daughter is a student at CCSU.

“Since my own graduation 35 years ago, I have worked or served as a police officer, volunteer fireman, fire marshal and police commissioner.  For the past 14 years, I have worked for Whelen Engineering Company in Chester, Conn.,” Kurze says.  “My public safety scope has grown from my local community to a worldwide scale, working with communities and national governments around the world to provide products that warn people every day about natural and man-made disasters.”

Kurze’s gift comprises two omni-directional, non-rotating electronic voice warning systems.  The gift includes all of the hardware, from radio controls and cables to shipping and complete installation by trained specialists.  Each system covers areas in accordance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Guidelines for Outdoor Warning Systems.

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