Emergency Notification Systems
The Mount Holyoke College Emergency Notification System allows the College to contact the community in the event of an emergency by sending messages via:
* Text message
* Voice message (mobile or land-line)
When an emergency occurs that requires Mount Holyoke College 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. The emergency notification system will continue to try to reach you until you confirm receipt of the message or until it sends you an email message. It is imperative that your contact information is accurate and up to date in order for you to receive emergency notifications.
In accordance with the Federal Clery Law, it is Mount Holyoke College's policy to provide timely and accurate information to the community in the event of an incident that puts the community at continuing risk. To accomplish this, Mount Holyoke College has in place several methods to rapidly disseminate information:
Public safety alerts (special notices) are distributed when incidents are determined to be a threat to the community (examples include, but are not limited to, violent incidents in which the perpetrator has not been apprehended (weapons incidents, sexual assaults, murder, aggravated assault, etc.), as well as conditions that pose a threat to the community (gas leaks, imminent dangerous hurricanes, tornado warnings, etc.)) The director of public safety or his/her designee is responsible for determining if and when threats to the community exist using the following procedure.
It is Mount Holyoke College’s policy to provide timely and accurate information to the community in the event of an incident that puts the community at risk. To accomplish this, Hampshire College has in place several methods to rapidly disseminate information. The use of these methods will be based on the severity of the emergency and determination of the continuing risk to the community.
Procedure
1. Public Safety is alerted to any emergency on campus; officers then respond to assess, evaluate and contain the emergency. Officers then confirm nature and severity of the emergency.
2. On-duty officers notify command staff on duty or on call. The command staff on duty or on call determine the alert level required (see below for alert levels). Should the emergency pose a danger to the community, that command staff member will immediately initiate the college’s emergency notification system, according to the Emergency Alert Levels defined below.
3. This decision process also includes which level of alert is required, as well as which contingencies require the most urgent notification. For example, a power outage in a single residence hall would cause alerts and communications most directly with the residents of that residence hall.
Emergency Alert Levels
The appropriate alert level would be activated upon confirmation of an emergency or crime occurring on campus.
Level 1 Notification – using the mass notification system. Emergencies in this level include credible, immediate threats to the community where there is a need to affect community behavior.
o Activated immediately*, upon confirmation of an emergency posing an immediate danger to the community.
o Notification may only be delayed if such notification will compromise efforts to contain the emergency. In such cases, notification would be made as soon as the emergency can be contained.
Level 2 Notification – using campus-wide email. Emergencies in this level include situations that require community notification but no immediate threat exists.• Activated within two business days of confirmation of an occurrence, or series of occurrences, that require community notification to change behaviors or allow community members to protect themselves from similar occurrences.
• May be issued not only for single incidents in which community notification is required, but also for lesser incidents whose frequency causes the need for a notification. Examples include car break-ins, bicycle thefts, etc.
• Notice is given to the campus community using the emergency notification system or e-mail. Typically, alerts include the date, time, general location, and nature of the incident, as well as recommended precautionary measures that should be observed by members of the College community. Alerts are also posted at:
• the Department of Public Safety
• the Public Safety Web site: www.mtholyoke.edu/publicsafety.
• E-mail (when necessary)
• On the Mount Holyoke gateways
Level 3 Notification – using the Public Safety log which is available on the Public Safety website at. Incidents at this level include more routine incidents.
o Updated daily, within 2 business days of an incident occurring.
o This log includes all incidents and fires reported to Public Safety.
Anyone with information warranting a timely warning should report the circumstances to the Department of Public Safety by phone (x2304 from on campus; (413) 538-2304 from off-campus or a cell phone) or in person in the Central Services Complex.
