Bard College at Simon's Rock: the Early College
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Emergency Alert System/Emergency Alert Notification

Emergency Notification

Emergency Notifications will occur when there is an immediate need to impart emergency information to the entire campus. It will be sent through the Emergency Alert System or word of mouth. It will typically be the initial communication in a campus-wide emergency situation that requires an immediate response from all those on campus.

Timely Warnings

In the event that a situation arises, either on or off campus, that, in the judgment of the director of Campus Safety in consultation with the Campus Life Office, constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus-wide “timely warning” will be issued to the campus community. The warning will be issued through the College email system to all students and employees. These warnings may also be supplemented by the College’s Emergency Alert System.

The College will use a variety of means to communicate emergency information or timely warnings.

  • Emergency Alert System – phone (cell and landline, email, text)
  • Voicemail – message sent directly to all voicemail accounts
  • Email – your name @simons-rock.edu address
  • Posted signs
  • The College website’s emergency information page
  • Word of mouth

Emergency Alert System

The Bard College at Simon’s Rock Emergency Alert System allows the College to contact the community in the event of an emergency by sending messages via:

  • Voice message (mobile and land-line)
  • Email
  • SMS text messaging

When an emergency occurs that requires community attention or action, the emergency notification system will be activated and you will be notified by the methods noted above using the personal information you have provided. It is imperative that your contact information is accurate and up to date in order for you to receive emergency notifications.

  • Students can update their information by contacting the Campus Life Office or the Campus Safety Department.
  • Faculty and Staff members can update their information through Human Resources.

What The Emergency Alert System Is

A method to effectively communicate emergency information to a large number of people at virtually the same time.

What The Emergency Alert System Is Not

A way to send nonemergency, routine or spam messages

Situations for which The Emergency Alert System Will Be Used May include but are not limited to

  • Facility Emergencies
  • Potential Life-threatening Situations on Campus
  • Extreme Weather Conditions

Under What Conditions Would I Not Receive These Messages?

  • If you are not a registered student or an active College employee at the time of notification
  • If the information provided to the College is not up-to-date
  • Issues with your mobile device service provider
  • Spam filter may have blocked an e-mail from being delivered

Kinds Of Messages That Will Be Sent

Not every emergency can be anticipated, however, the College has developed standard emergency messages that can be modified easily for use in a number of situations. This will allow notifications to be sent quickly.

How Do I Know the Message You Receive Is From The Notification System?

Contact Information Sources

Contact information used for the Emergency Alert system is taken directly from information provided by students, faculty, and staff in existing College systems. It is the responsibility of students, faculty, and staff to make sure this information is accurate and up to date in order to receive notifications.

  • Students can update their information by contacting the Campus Life or Campus Safety Departments.
  • Faculty and Staff members can update their information through Human Resources.

Privacy

Contact information will only be used by the College and will in no way be distributed to outside parties.

Participant Conduct

This service is designed to alert individual participants when an emergency occurs. One that requires immediate community attention or action. It is College policy that participants:

  • Provide contact information that is complete and accurate
  • Update their contact information when it changes
  • Confirm the receipt of messages after you’ve received an alert message

Costs Of Service

The Emergency Alert system is provided free of charge to active Bard College at Simon’s Rock 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.

Testing

The Emergency Alert system will be tested once a semester while class is in session. Additional testing may be conducted as part of drills and exercises, or as necessary.

SMS Text Messaging and Emergency Alert System

Frequently Asked Questions:

We will input your text-enabled phone number into the system, and the Emergency Alert System will automatically send a text message to your mobile phone to confirm your request.
All confirmation text messages and subsequent alerts will come from 23177 or 63079. Please save this number and program it as Simon's Rock Alerts so you can quickly recognize this number as the official source of our messages.

The confirmation message will read the following:

“Simon's Rock Alerts: You are now confirmed to receive alerts from us. More info text reply “HELP” or “STOP ROCKER” to cancel. Msg & data rates may apply.”

When you receive the confirmation, please text reply back with “STOP ROCKER”.

The confirmation message will read the following:

“Simon's Rock Alerts: You are now confirmed to stop receiving messages from 762537. More info text reply “HELP.”

If you no longer have that message on your phone, please contact us at 877-684-4468 orsms@blackboard.com to provide your text-enabled phone number and opt out request.

If you text reply HELP, you will receive the following message:

Bb Connect notifications. Users receive relevant alerts. For more info www.blackboardconnect.com/sms, sms@blackboard.com. To opt-out, text “STOP 762537”

Check with your provider to see if text messaging has been enabled since you will need to be subscribed to a text messaging plan in order to receive or reply to text messages. You should also ask your mobile phone provider if your device accepts premium text messages.

No. If your SMS phone was already submitted to our database, you should be confirmed to receive SMS alerts. However, you can check if you are opted-in by texting the word “SUBSCRIBE” to 23177 or 63079 and you will receive the following reply:

Simon's Rock Alerts: This phone number has already been opted in. More info text reply “HELP” or "STOP 762537" to opt-out

You may request to begin receiving text messages by texting “SUBSCRIBE 762537” to 23177 or 63079.

No. Once your phone number has been opted-in, it stays registered within the system.