As campus safety continues to be a growing concern nationwide, the administration at Northeast Texas Community College is taking action to keep the campus community informed in case of a serious emergency.
NTCC has placed a high priority this fall on making sure that the employees and students are registered to receive messages through its emergency alert system.
“Unfortunately, the world we live in today is uncertain and we have to be prepared for the worst,” said Jodi Pack, NTCC director of marketing and public relations. “Having an emergency alert system in place that can reach people quickly and accurately is necessary for the safety and security of NTCC. It is our hope that our entire campus community will provide up-to-date cell phone numbers so that they can receive these important messages should there ever be a real emergency.”
Pack is chairman of the Emergency Communication committee, which was formed by the college last spring to focus on safety and security-related communi
cation issues. Information entered when a student originally applies for NTCC is automatically uploaded into the emergency notification system. It is important that students provide correct information when they register and update that information promptly if something, like a cell phone number, changes.
The college recently sentout informational emails asking people to sign up for the alerts, and a recent post on the college’s website blog stated, “In the event of an emergency on campus-from dangerous weather to an active threat situation-we will use the NTCC Eagle Alert system to notify students, faculty and staff of what is happening as soon as possible. However, in order to receive these important messages, you must provide up-to-date, accurate contact information.”
Incorrect contact information continues to the main reason that people are not receiving alerts.
Many times, students change their cell phone numbers or e-mail addresses and fail to update the information in the system.
Pack said with this in mind, recent changes were made to myEagle Portal so that everyone can easily add, confirm or change their emergency contact number.
When students, faculty and staff login to the myEagle Portal, they will now be periodically prompted to confirm the cell phone number they have on file for emergency communication. When logged in, simply click the tab located in the yellow highlighted box at the top of the page that asks for verification of contact information. A page will open that offers options to confirm the existing number on file or update it to your correct information.
When contact information has been confirmed or updated, the highlighted box at the top of the portal page will disappear. People are encouraged to use their current and correct cell phone numbers, since it is the easiest way to reach people quickly.
“We are strongly encouraging all students to ensure their emergency contact is up to date. For most students this is their cell phone,” Vice President for instruction Kevin Rose said. “We simply want to be able to notify them should there be an emergency situation develop on campus.”
Recently, the college conducted a test of the NTCC Eagle Alert system in order to determine whether or not the majority of the campus community received the messages. Text messages, phone calls and emails were sent out to students, faculty and staff stating a test of the emergency alert system was being conducted.
Afterward, Pack sent out a follow-up email offering feedback on the information they gathered from the system test.
The email stated that an initial test voice phone call call did not include a complete message. She said the incomplete message was a mistake and a follow-up call went out correcting the error. She also reported that emails to NTCC addresses were delayed. Pack said they are currently working on correcting that issue as well. She said that anyone who did not receive a text or a call during the test should take the time to sign up for the alert system.
“Our test of the Eagle Alert system helped us see what is working well, and it also revealed some areas we need to work on,” Pack said. “I realize getting these test alerts can be annoying, but we have to practice with the system in order to ensure it is working properly in case there is ever an actual situation on campus.”
All students, faculty and staff are being encouraged to register for NTCC Eagle Alert system. In the case that an emergency does arise, students should be able to receive the alerts on their phones and/or through emails in order to receive important information.
“In my opinion, the alert system is a very important emergency function,” Security Coordinator Russel Taylor said. “The communication allows an individual to be able to make a decision about their safety as well as advise others of potential dangers.”
“We want to provide students with accurate, up to date information that will help them to stay connected whether they are on campus or off,” Rose said.