Campus Technology has a great article that walks readers through a text messaging response to armed robbery suspects fleeing to Napa Valley College.  It was interesting to see what the college thought worked well and read the anecdotes of how the availability of technology aided and hurt the response. 

Interestingly, the suspects entered the campus library to blend in and found an advantage: "students, who were able to use the library's computers, were sharing information among themselves--including the assailants--in real time, which meant the suspects knew what was going on outside."  Thankfully the suspects surrendered and all ended well.

For your next crisis tabletop drill, make sure you discuss more than just sending out a text message to the campus--talk through the possibility of sending out more than one message and incorporate complications like those Napa Valley College faced.  If nothing else, it will help you to prepare for the complexity of an actual crisis.

-Teresa Valerio Parrot