CGCC Emergency Notification Systems

At Chandler-Gilbert Community College, the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff is of primary importance. It is our hope that you will familiarize yourself with the emergency notification systems listed below. In the event of an emergency, CGCC will use these systems to communicate instructions and other vital information during a crisis situation.

CGCC has created a multimodal crisis communications plan in an effort to maximize communication efforts during an emergency. In addition to the systems listed below, CGCC may use fire alarms, runners, Building Safety Coordinators, the college's homepage, and CGCC"s emergency hotline number (480-731-8900) to communicate with students and their families, as well as faculty and staff, in the event of an emergency.

CGCC Alert

What is CGCC Alert?

CGCC Alert is Chandler-Gilbert Community College's emergency notification system that will help ensure rapid and reliable mass communication to students, faculty, and staff. The CGCC Alert system is designed to communicate with cell phones (text and voice messages), landlines, and e-mail systems, should a crisis or emergency situation occur at any of CGCC's three locations.

Students should update their contact information in the Maricopa Online Student Center at my.maricopa.edu in order to receive a CGCC Alert notification in the event of an emergency.

CGCC has contracted with a leading global provider of mass notification solutions, to provide this service.

How does the CGCC Alert notification system work?

During an urgent situation, the CGCC Alert system will begin cycling through the points of contact listed in your my.maricopa.edu account to deliver the alert. The order of contact is as follows:

• Text message (SMS) to mobile device
• Call to cell phone
• Call to home phone number
• Call to emergency contact number
• E-mail to listed email address

When you receive the message, it is very important that you confirm receipt when prompted. If no confirmation is received, CGCC Alert will continue cycling through your points of contact.

When will I receive an alert message?

With the exception of periodic tests, you will receive a message ONLY when a situation arises that disrupts normal college operations and that may place students, faculty, staff, or visitors at risk. A college lockdown, evacuation, or necessary college closure are a few examples of emergency notification messages. The college will send out a CGCC Alert notification message only after carefully assessing a situation and determining that it is serious enough to warrant universal notification.

Do students need to sign up for this service?

No. All currently enrolled students are automatically signed up for the CGCC Alert service. In order to receive a message in an emergency situation, it is vital for all CGCC students to update their personal contact information via my.maricopa.edu. Please login with your MEID and password to review and update your contact information - phone numbers (home, cell, and emergency numbers) as well as your email address. The reliability of this system is dependent on the accuracy of contact information to ensure you will receive an alert in the event of an emergency.

Do employees need to sign up for this service?

No. All employees are automatically signed up for the CGCC Alert service. In order to receive a message in an emergency situation, employees should update HRMS personal contact information. Login with your MEID and password to review and update your contact information - phone numbers (home, cell, and emergency numbers) as well as your email address. The reliability of this system is dependent on the accuracy of contact information to ensure you will receive an alert in the event of an emergency.

What should I do when I receive a CGCC Alert?

There are three things you should do when you receive a CGCC Alert notification message:

1. Read the message - don't ignore it!

2. Alert other people. During classes, professors and other students may have their cell phones turned off. If you're in a classroom, please advise the professor so that he or she may assist you in taking appropriate action. If you're at work, let your coworkers know about the alert. It's very important to help spread word of the emergency notification.

3. Follow the instructions given with the message. The instructions will be direct and specific to the particular situation. Be sure to follow them carefully. If the situation requires it, additional messages will be transmitted to update you.

Alertus Notification Beacons

Alertus Notification Beacons will be located in common areas and hallways of buildings throughout the college beginning in fall 2008. In the event of an emergency, these beacons will be activated and will use an integrated siren, strobe, and message display to notify building occupants of a threat or crisis.

Voiceover IP Phone/Paging System

IP telephones with intercom paging capabilities are currently located in all classrooms, selected offices and in the common areas of buildings at CGCC. In the event of an emergency, CGCC will be able broadcast messages through these phones as well as send an emergency message that will appear on the telephone's display.

CGCC will use this telephone system to communicate vital information and instructions to students, faculty, and staff in the event of a crisis.

Emergency Broadcast Telephone Towers

Red emergency broadcast telephone towers, topped with blue strobe lights, will be located at perimeter entrances to the Pecos and Williams campuses beginning in fall 2008. In addition to giving CGCC the capability to broadcast emergency messages to the college campus, these phones can also be used by students who need to call CGCC College Safety for assistance.

In the event of an emergency broadcast, college officials will use this powerful broadcast system to communicate vital information and instructions to students, faculty, and staff during a crisis.