'See Something Say Something' Action Applauded by USU Public Safety Director

LOGAN — USU’s Director of Public Safety is commending the attentive action on campus after law enforcement detonated a device to end an Aggie Alert safely amid heightened security due to an external event as well as hoax threats at universities across the nation.

“I’m grateful our Aggie campus community is proactive about safety,” said Ellis Bruch, executive director for USU Public Safety. “Better safe than sorry isn’t a cliché. It’s a great reminder to always stay alert and diligent. We’re all better off when we’re looking out for one another. We encourage everyone that if you see something, say something. It’s good to see the system work.”

An Aggie Alert was issued at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, after an employee notified USU Police about a suspicious item placed in a suspicious manner near the exterior of Old Main. After ordering an evacuation of the building, officers located the device and deemed it to be non-explosive.

The device was found to be a wildlife telemetry collar used for field research that had been placed by a USU employee for an undergraduate class to practice telemetry work. The Explosive Ordinance Disposal squad typically detonates objects with GPS signals, cell antennas, and other such items that they come across to render them safe out of an abundance of caution. The device was detonated in accordance with this practice, and an all-clear was issued at 3:45 p.m.

All USU students, faculty and staff are automatically opted into the Aggie Alert system. Parents and family members of students, as well as community members who frequent the campus, are encouraged to sign up for Aggie Alerts to stay informed in case of an emergency.