A new alert system will allow Elon students, faculty and staff to receive emergency notifications and other priority bulletins via cell phone text messages. Details...
E-Alert, powered by Omnilert, enables Elon officials to send instant alerts directly to registered subscribers’ e-mail accounts and mobile phones via SMS text messages. Subscribers can also receive the alerts via RSS, wireless PDA, and “My Yahoo,” “My AOL,” or personalized iGoogle home pages.
The notification system will be used to communicate important information during any potential emergency, such as a homeland security advisory, severe weather warning, gas leak, fire, gunman, etc.
Student Life and Campus Safety and Police personnel are urging the entire campus community to register.
“E-Alert is an excellent system that uses the most current technology to notify the entire campus within minutes when needed, wherever students, faculty and staff may be, ” said Smith Jackson, vice president for student life and dean of students. “But we need to stress that members of our community need to take a few minutes to sign up. Once you are enrolled in the system, you’ll enjoy an added measure of protection in a campus emergency.”
All current students, faculty and staff may subscribe to the system online at: www.elon.edu/e-alert.
E-Alert is just one of the enhanced emergency communications systems being implemented at Elon this year. Elon currently has systems to broadcast e-mails to all users, carry emergency warnings on the E-Net Web site, and record weather information on telephone hotlines (278-SNOW, 278-RAIN). This year, Elon will be installing a siren warning system, and adding the capability to broadcast messages via the speakerphones on many of the telephones that are currently installed in residence halls, public areas and offices. Additional video screens in common areas will also be programmed with the capability to carry emergency messages.