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In
case of emergency, Holyoke Community College sends emergency alerts
to anyone with a College-provided email account. In addition, HCC
has a system (HCC-Alert Emergency Notification System) to rapidly
communicate with students, faculty, and staff by sending a voice message
and/or instant text message to home and cell telephones. While the
system is active and ready for use, it is only as good as the contact
information it contains.
In order to send you emergency text messages and voice mail alerts,
you must provide cell phone information. Please login to the Emergency
Notification Management (https://hcc.ecoporte.com) and
update your contact information. The information you supply is confidential
and will not be shared. We will contact you through the system in
the event of an emergency.
What is Holyoke Community College’s campus-wide
emergency notification system, HCC-Alert?
The College uses Dialogic Communications Corporation’s
(DCC) tool, Communicator! NXT Emergency Mass Notification System.
Named HCC-Alert for our College, this system improves the College’s
ability to effectively communicate with the campus using land-line
phones, cell phones, voice-mail, e-mail, and text messages.
HCC-Alert delivers an accurate and consistent message to all
and can push out thousands of alert messages within minutes to help
ensure the safety of everyone at Holyoke Community College.
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How does the HCC-Alert system work?
The HCC-Alert is a hosted and managed service, so you will not need
any special software to receive messages. It is a multi-modal service
that can disseminate emergency messages by:
- E-mail: An alert message will be sent to your official
campus e-mail address.
- Web: During an emergency, details and updated information
will be provided on the College home page at www.hcc.edu
- Voice Messages, SMS Text Messages: Faculty, staff, and
students who choose to register their phone numbers through the
Emergency Notification system will receive voice and/or SMS text
messages.
- Other systems: Other campus systems may be involved
in broadcasting emergency information.
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When will emergency messages be sent?
This system will be used to distribute information regarding emergencies
that dictate immediate action. An emergency is a situation which
poses an immediate risk to the health and safety of the campus community
or significantly disrupts its programs and activities.
Examples of alerts include a fire or a chemical leak requiring the
evacuation of a building, or an ongoing criminal incident that requires
members of the campus community to take action to ensure their safety.
The message will direct you where to go for further information
or what action to take.
Less urgent messages will be sent using the campus e-mail system.
Following a warning, the alert system will be used to provide additional
messages or an “all clear” announcement. Test alerts will be sent
on a routine basis – the exact frequency of which has not yet been
defined. You will receive other messages, but only if you select
to be notified about delays or cancellations, and/or other non-emergencies.
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Who will get notified with HCC-Alert?
All students, faculty, and staff of the College will receive emergency
notification in some way. Messages may be sent using text
messages, voice messages, and/or email. However only those
who have provided the HCC-Alert system with updated cell phone and
carrier information can be contacted via text messages.
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What information do you need from me?
We need your cell phone number and mobile carrier (if you elect
to be notified by text message). You can also include other
phone numbers (home, work) as contact information. Email information
for you is already on file.
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Do you need my cell phone number?
Because students, faculty and staff are constantly on the move,
this new system provides the flexibility for you to receive emergency
messages on multiple devices including text messages to your cell
phone. The system will be used along with other tools including
e-mail, the College Web site, campus media and other methods.
We need your cell phone number only if you elect to be contacted
via cell phone and/or text message.
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What if I don’t own a cell phone?
The College will still send you messages about campus emergencies
through other channels. For example, voice messages can be
sent to your home phone.
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How do I submit my cell phone information for HCC-Alert?
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Who is authorized to send messages out using HCC-Alert?
Messages will be distributed only by trained College staff from
the offices that typically deal directly with campus emergencies
and only following approval from executive management.
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Will I receive information other than emergency
alerts from HCC-Alert?
Holyoke Community College intends to use HCC-Alert for emergency
situations that threaten the safety of the College community or
significantly disrupts programs and activities. If you elect
to be notified about delays/cancellations and/or non-emergencies,
you will receive those alerts when they are sent out.
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Why is the College implementing emergency text messaging?
Holyoke Community College reviewed its options and decided that
adding wireless text messaging would broaden the reach of its
emergency communications. Many students, faculty and staff members
carry devices that receive text messages, so the new system adds
a way to spread the word effectively.
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What if I don’t want to receive text messages from
HCC-Alert?
We don’t recommend that approach. However, if you decide to
leave the cell phone carrier blank on the HCC-Alert screen, then
you will not receive any text messages.
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Can parents receive emergency text messages?
Only individual who have HCC IDs can receive text messages.
Informing students, faculty and staff when immediate action is
necessary is the priority of the system. In case of an emergency,
parents can find information on the College's home page (
www.hcc.edu) and can call their students to check on their
situations. Students are encouraged to call parents to share
information regarding their status. Parents also should
encourage their sons and daughters to enroll in the
Campus Alert System.
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How do I change my contact information in
HCC-Alert?
Follow the same instructions above used for submitting contact information.
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What steps are taken to ensure the information
I submit is secure?
The contact information submitted for use with HCC-Alert is stored
locally at Holyoke Community College and is protected by multiple
layers of physical and technological security. Access to that
data is limited to authorized College staff. Your contact
information is then transmitted via secure locket layer (SSL) technology
to the host site. The physical location of the data also has
multiple layers of security to protect the data once it is in the
host site’s system.
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Will my contact information be sold to telemarketers?
No. Neither Holyoke Community College nor DCC (nor its affiliates)
will sell, lease, or share, personally identifiable information
(names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) to any companies or persons
outside of Holyoke Community College!
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What number will show up on my caller ID when an
alert is issued?
When an alert is issued via HCC-Alert, caller ID will show that
you are receiving a call from area codes 615(Nashville, TN) or 480(Mesa, AZ).
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What e-mail address will be reflected when
an alert is issued?
The “from” address of an emergency e-mail message sent from Holyoke
Community College via HCC-Alert will appear as: MassHigherEd@dccusa.com
.
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How will I know the phone message is from
HCC-Alert?
At the beginning of the phone call, the voice will state that this
is a message from the Holyoke Community College Alert system.
It will then provide you with information and/or instructions to
follow.
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How will I know the text message is from
HCC-Alert?
The beginning of the text message will state that this is a message
from the HCC-Alert system. It will then provide you with information
and/or instructions to follow.
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Will I be charged for a text message from
HCC-Alert?
Most cell phone carriers treat text messages the same. If
you are currently charged for each text message, there will be a
charge for a text message from HCC-Alert. If you have a text
message plan, this text message will be treated as any other text
message.
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What should I do if I receive an emergency
call or e-mail from HCC-Alert?
If you receive an emergency message via HCC-Alert, do the following:
- Listen to or read the ENTIRE message.
- Take the message seriously.
- Follow any instructions given in the message.
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What other emergency notification systems
are used at Holyoke Community College?
Currently, Holyoke Community College makes use of any or all
of the following systems depending on the specific emergency:
- Phone calls & voicemail
- E-mail & LISTSERV lists
- Fire alarm systems
- Outdoor sirens
- Televisions
- PA Systems (indoor + outdoor)
- WCCH 103.5
- Informacast (all digital phones)
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What else should I know about emergency
preparedness?
As always, we strive to keep Holyoke Community College a safe place;
however emergencies and disasters can always occur. Every
individual should be prepared both at Holyoke Community College
and at home. Visit www.ready.gov
for information on individual emergency preparedness.
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