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As part of ongoing plans for improvement, the University, under the auspices of the Emergency Warning Committee, is expanding its capacity to communicate urgent messages rapidly when an emergency develops. On a 729-acre main campus supporting more than 38,000 people, we cannot rely on any one means of communication to reach everyone. We are adding text messaging and a new siren warning system with the capability to broadcast public address announcements to a growing list of ways the University can provide information.</p>
<p>...Because so many people in the University community have cell phones, using text messaging makes sense. This fall, we are expanding the University's capacity to send emergency warnings via text messages to anyone who has a UNC Onyen (the campus sign-on name provided to students, staff and faculty) and a cell phone capable of receiving text messages.</p>
<p>...In addition, the University has the capacity to send emergency warnings by text message through the new UNC Mobile communications program (<a href="http://www.unc.edu/uncmobile)%5B/url%5D">www.unc.edu/uncmobile)</a>, now available to students, faculty and staff. This Web address will provide prompts with directions specific to students as well as interested faculty and staff. We encourage the University community to sign up for UNC Mobile in addition to providing cell phone numbers in the online campus directory.</p>
<p>Having multiple ways to reach people in the event of an emergency is a vital aspect of campus safety. The success of this endeavor will depend on the response of this campus-wide effort to secure cell phone numbers for those of you who have them.</p>
<p>The University plans to install the new siren warning system by the end of November. With this new system, the Department of Public Safety will be able to alert people throughout the heart of campus and others north of campus near the Giles-Horney Building. As the implementation date for the siren system approaches, the University will provide additional information about the system's capabilities and how it will be used.</p>
<p>In addition, we plan to communicate by way of a new secure emergency Web site and software system currently under development as part of a UNC system initiative. The University also will continue to use existing communication methods to convey emergency information, including campus e-mail messages, Web sites, telephone voice-mail messages, the University Access Channel on campus and Chapel Hill cable television, the Traveler's Information System at 1610 AM, and the Adverse Weather and Emergency Hotline, 843-1234, for recorded information.
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Good to know that they're trying to keep students safe. :)</p>