 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
On Tuesday, October 6, at noon, Smith’s
Department of Public Safety will test the college’s emergency notification
system. The exercise is conducted periodically to gauge our ability to contact
all Smith community members by text message, cell phone or e-mail in the
event of a critical incident on campus.
Please follow the instructions within the message
and respond so that we can best determine how well the system is working.
If
you need to make changes to your emergency contact information prior to this
test, you can do so by noon on Friday, October 2. Contact information entered
by that time should receive the test. To receive emergency messages through your cell
phone, via text or voice, please update your emergency contact information.
Students and employees can do so by logging on to BannerWeb using
their nine-digit user ID number and PIN. Click the link for Personal Information
Menu and then "Emergency Information Review and Update." In order
to be included in the Emergency Alert System, cell phone numbers must be designated "My
Cell Phone."
Other than periodic tests, the college will use
this system only for serious campus emergencies in which the safety and well
being of community members may be in jeopardy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Smith College emergency notification system
allows the college to contact the community in the event of an emergency by sending
messages via:
When an emergency occurs that requires community attention
or action, the system will be activated and you will be notified by text message
(if you have provided a valid cell phone number) and e-mail. If you do not confirm
receipt of the message within five minutes, a voice message will be sent if you have
provided a cell phone number.
The emergency notification system is:
A method to effectively communicate emergency information to a large number of people
at virtually the same time.
The emergency notification system is not:
A way to send non-emergency, routine or spam messages.
Situations for which the emergency notification system
will be used may include but are not limited to:
Follow the instructions carried in the message.
You may be directed to evacuate a building, to avoid an area of campus or to shelter
in place until an emergency has passed. As soon as you are able, you should also
acknowledge that you have received the message.
Not every situation can be anticipated. They
might include in-progress emergencies, such as an at-large criminal suspect who is
thought to be an imminent danger to the community; civil disturbances or acts of
terrorism; fires; release of hazardous materials; pending natural disasters; or critical
health emergencies. The messages are deliberately short (160 characters or less)
to accommodate text devices. Subsequent messages will be sent as information is available.
You’ll know the message is from the Smith
College notification system by the message sender:
Once a notice is sent, SMS text messaging (cell
phone text messaging) is typically delivered fastest. Other modes may be slower.
Delays may occur depending on the campus e-mail pipeline and if individual telephone
or cellular carriers experience delays.
Contact information used for the notification
system is taken directly from information provided by students, staff and faculty
in their Banner personal records. It is the responsibility
of faculty, staff and students to make sure this information is accurate and up to
date in order to receive notifications.
Emergency notification messages will always
be sent to your Smith College e-mail address.
This service is being provided to all community
members as an extension to our existing emergency response procedures. We will not
be offering an opt-out option for this service.
This service is designed to alert individual
participants when an emergency occurs requiring Smith College community attention
or action. It is Smith College policy that participants:
The notification system is provided free of
charge to active Smith College staff, faculty and students. There is no cost associated
with participation in the service. However, participants are responsible for charges
made by service providers related to text messages and mobile phone calls -- actual
and test messages.
The notification system will be tested once
a semester and each summer. Additional testing may be conducted as part of drills
and exercises, or as necessary. |
