The University of Rhode Island has emergency notification systems in place that provide a basic foundation for emergency notices to members of the University community.
In addition to the new EmergencyALERT notification system, existing communications systems allow the administration to reach students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders with urgent notices. The system uses the following overlapping technologies to ensure that as many members of the community are informed in the least amount of time. This overlapping technique takes into account limitations of persons with disability. The current system includes:
B. Website pages
C. Email
D. Voicemail - (campus)
E. Hotlines (874-1000, 874-SNOW, 874-NEWS)
F. Media
G. Emergency "Blue-Light" phone network
Currently, notices are distributed (email and mail) at the beginning of the academic year to faculty, staff and students by email and mail to outline where they will find information related to class cancellation and storm related announcements, and emergencies. This letter lists the resources -- telephone, Internet, voicemail, email and news stations -- and directs community members to use any or all of these to get the information needed.
An emergency notice can be disseminated 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.
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| About the Systems |
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The University's EmergencyALERT notification system allows quick news and instructions to be sent to all members of the University community in the event of an emergency via their provided contact numbers. The new system augments existing emergency communications tools long used by the university, including web postings, e-mail, voicemail and an automated message line, but will take advantage of new technologies to support a fully integrated and coordinated emergency communications program. University faculty, students and staff may enroll for the new system through e-Campus. |
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The Department of Communications and/or the University Webmaster may post emergency notices to the home page. These notices may be linked to a page with more information about the situation. The Department of Communications, in coordination with the Department of Safety and Risk Management, developed an emergency website as a guide. The site was established after Sept. 11, 2001 and used at different times based on heightened national security. This site is located at uri.edu/emergency. |
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The Department of Communications maintains two listserves, URINEWS, which reaches 1,530 faculty and staff, and the URINewsLine, which reaches 13,577 students at their designated preferred email addresses. These listservs are maintained and configured to permit only official posts from the department. Approved, official emergency and other important notices of campus-wide interest are distributed to faculty, staff and students as needed. The University has the ability to reach all students’ preferred email addresses. |
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Verbal notices are sent to all faculty/staff and student voicemail boxes. The department has the ability to code emergency notices so they cannot be deleted until the recipients listen to them. This is essential in the event of a major criminal or public safety crisis. The messages can be updated as more information becomes available. |
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Emergency messages are recorded on the University’s main line, 874-1000. In addition, the Department of Communications has established dedicated call-in lines, 874-SNOW and 874-NEWS for storm and other urgent announcements. These phone lines can be updated with information or directions to community members as needed. These phone technologies could be used in the event of public safety emergencies, such as fires, hurricanes or criminal activity. |
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Last year, media outlets merged their weather announcement services The University submits notices through RIBA's secure automated telephone or web-based system. The data is then available in real-time to all participating radio and television stations as well as on their websites. The TV and radio stations broadcast this information as they have in years past. RIBA has modified its system to include more than just weather-related closings and they have initiated a program to send alert messages to cell phones, email addresses, or home phone numbers of individuals who "subscribe" on the websites of any of their member stations (i.e. Channels 10, 12, 6 etc.). |
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 G. Emergency "Blue-Light" phone network
The University has an emergency phone network on its Kingston Campus that gives a caller instant access to the campus police department simply by pushing a large red button. The blue light emergency phones are located at 66 locations around campus. The average response time by police is 2 minutes. Officials are investigating activation of the lights in a flashing mode to signal an immediate emergency. The system requires action by an individual/victim at a single phone site. |
statewide through the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association's (RIBA) unified cancellation/delay notification system. The University works through RIBA to transmit weather-related class cancellations throughout Rhode Island and bordering communities to reach faculty, staff and students who may not check voicemail, email or the URI home page.