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Frequently
Asked Questions
Return to UGAAlert
UGAAlert is the name chosen by UGA for
the emergency mass notification system made available through the vendor, The
NTI Group/Connect-ED. Effective communication is one of the major
challenges in emergency management. UGAAlert will be used to improve our
ability to communicate prior to, during, and after emergencies. UGA
students, faculty, and staff with a valid MyID
can register up to three telephone numbers and two email addresses to
receive emergency alerts. The system can push out thousands of messages
within minutes.
When
will UGAAlert be used?
UGAAlert will only be used when there is
a severe threat to public safety and health of the entire campus that has
not been contained or controlled and when immediate action is required on
the part of the recipient group(s), (e.g. chemical spills impacting public
health, tornado warnings, active shooters, etc.).
UGAAlert
will not be used for non-emergency notifications such as lane closures,
crime updates, inclement weather closings, localized building emergencies,
situations that have been contained, situations where a threat does not
exist, rumor control, situations where notification is merely a convenience
or other situations when ArchNews is the most
appropriate communication method.
UGAAlert
will not replace ArchNews for non-urgent
messages.
UGAAlert
will be tested twice a year—during the February severe
weather drill and
again near the beginning of the fall semester.
Additional information about emergency situations when UGAAlert is activated will be posted
on the UGA Home Page at www.uga.edu.
Who is
administering UGAAlert?
UGAAlert is administered by the Office
of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP). However, several UGA
departments are involved in the project including the UGA Police Department
(UGAPD), Public Affairs, and Enterprise Information Technology Services
(EITS). Only authorized representatives from OSEP, UGAPD, and Public
Affairs can send emergency messages using UGAAlert.
Who is
eligible to enroll in UGAAlert?
All UGA students, faculty, and staff with a
valid MyID and password are encouraged to
register/confirm their contact information for UGAAlert.
In the event that you are a UGA student, faculty, or staff member and see
the error message: "The MyID you entered is
not eligible for self-registration to UGAAlert", you will need to
contact the EITS Helpdesk at 706-542-3106 or helpdesk@uga.edu for further evaluation
of your account information.
Departmental, Organizational, or Test MyIDs that
are not associated with a specific individual are not eligible for UGAAlert.
How does
the UGAAlert System work?
The system is a fully hosted and managed system
that requires no hardware or software. Registrants enter up to three
telephone numbers and two email addresses to receive emergency alerts. Emergency
messages are broadcast to all contact numbers and email addresses provided.
How is
the system capable of sending so many messages at once?
NTI has service level agreements with redundant
telecommunications providers which allow the company to initiate over
2,000,000 60-second voice calls per hour. NTI has pre-purchased capacity to
send over 17 billion voice messages per year but currently uses less than
2% of the contracted capacity daily. NTI has an open architecture which
allows the company to increase additional capacity as the client base
grows.
Is it
difficult to register?
No. It is very simple and straightforward.
Registrants must have a valid UGA MyID and
password to register. The only information you provide is your contact
numbers and email address(es).
You are able to select from several UGA "campus" locations
including Athens, Griffin, Gwinnett, Tifton, and
"Other". Campus locations are being collected in order to avoid
sending "Athens
only" warnings to off-campus UGAAlert registrants. If you also
spend time on the Athens campus, you should
select Athens in addition to your typical
campus location so you will receive all pertinent warnings when you visit
the Athens
campus. Off-campus registrants should rely on local emergency notifications
for site specific warnings.
How many
phone numbers and email addresses can I put in when signing up?
Each registrant can reflect up to three phone
numbers and two email addresses. Typically, most registrants need only
reflect one or two phone numbers (e.g. cell and office) to ensure they will
be able to receive emergency announcements but more are permitted (up to
three).
Can I
sign up more than one time for UGAAlert?
Yes. Since you register using your MyID, you will be recognized upon reentry. This allows
you to edit your information at any time. Once you are in the system, you
must "opt out" your information if you want to opt out for awhile
and register again at a later time.
When I
logged in using MyID, my name was not reflected
the way it appears on my official records...why?
UGAAlert accesses information
available from the UGA MyID database, not your
official student or personnel records. The name reflected should be the one
you used when you applied for your MyID. A name
discrepancy will not prevent you from receiving UGAAlert messages since the system
calls all reflected phone numbers and sends email notification to the email
addresses you enter. However, if you want to change your information in the
UGA MyID database, please contact the EITS Help Desk
at (706) 542-3106 and press "2" to speak to a representative.
What is
the "primary number" in UGAAlert?
The primary number is the one most likely to
reach you when you are on UGA property. For most people, this will be a
cell phone number. Please note, choosing the text messaging feature and
selecting your cell phone as your primary number will result in your cell
phone getting both a voice call and a text message. If you want your cell
phone to only receive text message alerts, you must enter an additional
number and select it as your primary number. Keep in mind that text
messages are typically limited to 130 characters so you may received shortened warnings.
Can I
reflect phone numbers for people other than myself, family members for
example?
Your registration is linked to your MyID and UGAAlert is intended as a service for
only UGA students, faculty, and staff. Although numbers will not be
validated, you should consider whether other individuals will want to
receive emergency notification messages specific to UGA (inclement weather
closings, building evacuation notices, etc.). If you elect to include the
phone number of a friend or family member, please encourage them not to try
to contact you when emergency messages are first issued. Immediately following
an emergency, all phone lines should be kept open for emergency use. It is
also important that your line is open to receive additional warnings or an
all clear notification.
Can I
include "long distance" phone numbers?
Nationwide numbers are accepted. The system
will not accommodate international numbers.
Should
I register if I am located at an off-campus location?
Yes. UGAAlert will be used when emergency
situations may impact the entire campus community (e.g. terrorism threats,
pandemic influenza, etc.). Although we are not able to monitor weather
conditions and other possible threats for all of UGA’s
properties, campus locations are being collected in order to avoid sending
"Athens
only" warnings to off-campus UGAAlert
registrants. If you also spend time on the Athens
campus, you should consider selecting "Athens"
in addition to your typical campus location so you will receive all
pertinent warnings when you visit the Athens
campus. However, it is important to note you will receive Athens
specific messages 24/7 when you select "Athens". All off-campus registrants
should continue to rely on their local emergency notification systems for
site specific warnings.
Can I
change my contact information after it is first entered?
Definitely. At any time, you can log into the UGAAlert
system at www.ugaalert.uga.edu
and change your contact information. Since you register using your MyID, you will be recognized upon reentry. Just type
over the current information with your updated information and select
"Submit" to update. Once you are in the system, you must
"opt out" your information if you want to opt out for awhile and
register again at a later time.
If I
change my mind and do not want to participate can I cancel?
Yes. At any time, you can log into the UGAAlert
system at www.ugaalert.uga.edu
and chose to opt out of the system. The opt out
box is located at the bottom of the screen just above the button that says,
"Submit My Information." However, we encourage you to remain in
the system unless you will be leaving the university.
How
often will I receive alerts?
UGA is committed to reserving this system for
emergencies requiring immediate action on the part of the UGA community.
Examples include building evacuations due to chemical spills, tornado
warnings, dangers requiring a building or campus-wide lockdown, and
inclement weather closings. For other, less urgent-events, the Archnews listserv will be used instead. Following an
initial warning, the system will also be used to provide additional
information or to issue an "all clear" announcement. However, to
be sure the system is working properly and to remind enrollees to check
their contact information for accuracy, two test messages will be sent each
year. One will be initiated in connection with the annual statewide severe
weather drill in February and the other will occur near the beginning of
fall semester to ensure incoming freshmen know how the system works.
Will I
receive a call every time there is a fire alarm in a residence hall?
No, all residence halls are equipped with
audible fire alarms. Should the audible alarm fail, we are able to contact
only the students assigned to the impacted residence hall through
"groups" established within UGAAlert. However, should an actual
fire impact a large portion of campus, including pedestrian and vehicular
traffic, a campus-wide alert will be issued using UGAAlert.
Will
alerts be issued 24/7?
Yes. Because it is impossible to track which
UGA students, faculty, and staff may be on the campus at any given time,
when an emergency situation warrants use of this system, the warning will
be issued regardless of the time of day or night. For example, if a tornado
warning is issued for Athens-Clarke
County at 3am, UGAAlert will be used to send
emergency notification to all "Athens"
registrants. Even if you live in a surrounding county that is not under a
tornado warning, the numbers you reflected will still be called. It is
important to keep this in mind when entering your emergency contact
information.
Will I
receive information other than emergency warnings from UGAAlert?
No, UGAAlert will only be used when there
is a severe threat to public safety and health of the entire campus that
has not been contained or controlled and when immediate action is required
on the part of the recipient group(s), (e.g. chemical spills impacting
public health, tornado warnings, active shooters, etc.). For other, less
urgent-events, the Archnews listserv will be used
instead.
However, to be sure the system is working properly and to remind enrollees
to check their contact information for accuracy, two test messages will be
sent each year. One will be initiated in connection with the annual
statewide severe weather drill in February and the other will occur near
the beginning of fall semester to ensure incoming freshmen know how the
system works.
Can I
receive UGAAlert text messages on my cell
phone?
Yes. You can choose to receive both a voice
phone call to your cell phone and a text message to your cell phone. If
your cell phone supports SMS messaging you can receive the message to your
phone as an SMS message.
How do
I sign up to receive UGAAlert text
messages on my cell phone?
Login to UGAAlert using your MyID username and password. Next to "Cell Phone
Method," choose "Text." If you want to receive both text
messages and voice messages to your cell phone, select text and voice.
A confirmation message will be sent to your cell phone within 48 hours.
Confirmation messages are sent out between 7am and 3pm. The confirmation
message will read the following: You are now confirmed to receive alerts
from us. For more info, text reply
"HELP" or "STOP UGAALRT" to opt-out.
The messages will come from the phone number 23177. Please save this phone
number and program it into your cell phone as UGA Alert so you can quickly
recognize this number as an incoming message from UGA Alert.
I did
not receive a confirmation message. What happened?
Please check with your mobile phone provider to
find out if your device accepts text messages. You may also want to check
with your provider to see if text messaging has been enabled. You may need
to subscribe to a text messaging plan in order to receive or reply to text
messages.
I did
not receive a confirmation message because my phone wasn't text enabled. I
have since contacted my mobile phone provider to enable it. Do I need
another confirmation message sent?
No, if your SMS phone was already submitted to
our database, you should be confirmed to receive SMS alerts from us.
However, you may also test to find out by texting the word
"SUBSCRIBE" to 23177 and you will receive a reply with the
following:
This phone number has already been opted in. For more info, text reply "HELP" or "STOP UGAALRT"
to opt-out.
How do
I opt out?
You may opt out at any time by changing your UGAAlert
options at www.ugaalert.uga.edu.
If you want to opt-out from receiving text messages you may change your
options at www.ugaalert.uga.edu
or you may also opt out by texting the words "STOP UGAALRT" to
23177.
What if
I opted out, but later decide I would like to opt-in again?
You must make sure that you have correctly
chosen to receive text messages to your cell phone at www.ugaalert.uga.edu. If your cell
phone number is still reflected, text "SUBSCRIBE UGAALRT" to
23177. You will receive a confirmation text message from UGAAlert
verifying that you have successfully subscribed.
If I
change cell phone providers do I need to opt-in again?
No. Once your phone number has been opted-in,
it stays registered within the system. You do not need to opt-in again, but
you should update your cell provider in your UGAAlert information at www.ugaalert.uga.edu.
Who
will have access to the information entered into UGAAlert?
UGAAlert is administered by the Office
of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP). However, several UGA
departments are involved in the project including the UGA Police Department
(UGAPD), Public Affairs, and Enterprise Information Technology Services
(EITS). Only a few authorized individuals from OSEP, UGAPD, Public Affairs can access your information and send
emergency messages using UGAAlert.
What
steps are taken to ensure the information I submit is secure?
UGA’s
EITS staff designed and maintains the local registration site utilizing all
of UGA’s existing security protocols. The system databases are housed on the
UGA mainframe which has many layers of security. Logging in with your UGA MyID means you are identified by your University ID
number, not your Social Security Number.
Additionally, a login is required to view information in the UGAAlert
system and this access is restricted to a few individuals with a need to
know. All data transmitted to and from UGA utilizes Secure Sockets Layer
(SSL). The vendor, The NTI Group retains an external security auditing firm
to perform audits to discover potential security threats, assess risks, and
provide solutions for patching and managing those risks. All Clients of the
Messaging Services are required to enter a unique username and password, or
other security access requirement. The password is encrypted.
Will my
information be sold to telemarketers?
No, neither UGA nor The NTI Group will share or
sell contact information belonging to clients. For more details, please
refer to NTI’s
privacy and confidentiality statement online at www.ntigroup.com/about/privacy.asp.
Are
there any costs involved if I sign up for UGAAlert?
The only costs you may incur for emergency
messages you receive via UGAAlert
will be from your cellular service provider. For example, you may incur
charges from your provider a) if you elect to receive text emergency
messages and your plan does not include this feature; b) if you have a
"pay as you go" plan for voice messages; and c) if you exceed
your allotted plan minutes for voice calls or text messages. You should
check with your cellular service provider to determine what, if any, costs
may apply. Also, please keep in mind that limited emergency and test
messages will be sent using this system so any costs outside your plan
should be nominal.
What
number will be reflected on my caller ID when a warning is issued?
The phone number reflected on your caller ID
will be 706-542-0111. You should program this number into your phone so it
will immediately recognize it as an urgent call.
What
email address will be reflected when a warning is issued?
The "from" address will reflect the
following: University
of Georgia
[ugaalert@uga.edu]. Please set your spam filters to allow mail from this
address.
Doesn’t this notification system overwhelm the phone systems (cell and
land lines)?
No, NTI utilizes proprietary algorithms
designed to maximize the available local switch network for best success of
delivery. However, because UGA’s incoming line capacity is limited,
calls to UGA’s 542/583 numbers may be delayed
more than those made to cell or home phones. Lines reserved for outgoing calls are not
impacted by the incoming emergency warning calls.
What
should I do if I receive an emergency call or email from UGAAlert?
You should take the warning very seriously as
this system will only be used when there is an immediate threat. Follow the
instructions provided and take immediate action. Never attempt to go past
barricaded areas.
What
other emergency notification systems are used at UGA?
UGA uses a number of redundant notification
systems including outdoor emergency sirens (primarily for weather related
events); emergency pagers and public address systems located in certain
campus buildings; Archnews (a campus-wide email
system able to send messages to approximately 50,000 individuals in 20
minutes to one hour); an AM radio station maintained by the UGA Police
Department; NOAA weather radios located in many UGA buildings; telephone
trees (where assigned individuals call others with emergency messages);
UGA-specific crawler messages on all TVs subscribed to the University
Cablevision (including offices and residence halls) and announcements over
police cruiser PA systems when warranted.
After a
warning is issued, how can I find out more details?
It is imperative to keep phone lines open
during an emergency situation. As soon as additional information is
available, it will be reflected on the UGA home page (www.uga.edu). When immediate additional
instructions are warranted (an all clear message or need for
decontamination, for example), they will be issued using UGAAlert.
What
else should I know about emergency preparedness?
Although college campuses are usually safe
places, emergencies and disasters do occur. Individual preparedness is the
cornerstone of emergency preparedness and response. Every individual should
have an emergency kit and emergency plan-including a family communication
plan. The plan should be tested periodically. Each campus office and dorm
room should have a NOAA weather radio. Visit www.ready.gov
for information about individual emergency preparedness. Download an
informative brochure specific to UGA here. Contact the
Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness at 706-542-5845 or ugaalert@uga.edu.
Who can
answer questions regarding UGAAlert?
Contact the Office of Security and Emergency
Preparedness at 706-542-5845 or ugaalert@uga.edu.
If I
did not sign up, was my information placed into UGAAlert?
Yes. The University of Georgia’s
(UGA) Emergency Preparedness and Communications Committee (EPCC) was
established in
May of 2007 by President Adams to assess the University’s emergency
preparedness, crisis communication and public safety capabilities in the
wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. One of the recommendations put forth
by the EPCC was to mandate participation of faculty, staff and students in UGAAlert.
What
information is automatically placed into the system by UGA?
For students, the phone number listed in their
records as their local phone number and their UGA e-mail address were
placed in the system. For faculty and staff, the office phone number from
their human resources’ record and their UGA e-mail address were
placed in the system.
For students, faculty, and staff who were already in the system, no changes
were made to those accounts.
How can
I update or change this information?
You can change your information at any time by
going to www.ugaalert.uga.edu.
You must sign in with your UGA MyID. Changes that
are recorded in UGAAlert
are uploaded nightly to NTI Connect-ED, our notification provider.
Can I
decide not to be included in the UGAAlert
system?
Yes. At any time, you can log into the UGAAlert
system at www.ugaalert.uga.edu
and click the box at the bottom of the page next to "Click here to opt
out of UGAAlert."
However, we encourage you to remain in the system unless you will be
leaving the university.
If I
was already in the system, do I need to update my information as well?
No changes were made to any accounts that were already
in the system. While we encourage you to periodically verify that your
information is updated and accurate, accounts that were already in the
system were not affected.
Am I
required to update or verify my information periodically?
As a part of the MyID
password update process, users are required to review their information in UGAAlert.
This means that you will be required to review your information twice a
year. This process will not take much time and will assist us in gathering
accurate information on how to contact you during an emergency.
Is
there a Purge Process for removing users from UGAAlert?
Yes.
It is necessary to purge users out of the UGAAlert system who are no longer
affiliated with the University
of Georgia. Purging
users allows the system to function more smoothly as bad e-mail addresses
and phone numbers are removed from the system.
Users will receive an e-mail letting them know that they are set to be
purged from the system one week prior to their purge date. Users who are
set to be purged, but wish to remain in the system should contact the
Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness at 706-542-5845 or osep@uga.edu. Not all requests to remain in
the UGAAlert
system will be honored.
A student will be purged from UGAAlert if a
student:
1. Is not currently enrolled; and
2. Was not enrolled one semester ago; and
3. Was not enrolled two semesters ago; and
4. Has not updated their information in UGAAlert for
over 4 months; and
5. If the student is an employee, meets the employee
purge criteria
An
employee will be purged from UGAAlert if the employee:
1. Has been terminated for over three months; and
2. Has not received a paycheck from UGA in the past 7
months; and
3. Has not retired from UGA; and
4. If the employee is a student, meets the student
purge criteria
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Hodgson Oil
Building, Suite 200 South
286 Oconee St.
Athens, Georgia 30602-1977
Phone (706) 542-5845 | FAX (706) 542-4664 | Email
www.osep.uga.edu
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