RIT Alert - Emergency Mass Notification System: Information and Terms of Use
The RIT Emergency Mass Notification System (EMNS) allows the University to contact the community in the event of an emergency by sending messages via:
- Instant message
- Text message
- Voice message (mobile or land-line)
When an emergency occurs that requires RIT community attention or action, the EMNS will be activated and you will be notified by the methods noted above using the personal information you have provided. The EMNS will cycle through the each contact method twice or until you confirm receipt. Of course, if you have not provided contact information for Instant Message (IM), for example, the EMNS will not attempt to send you an IM. It is imperative that your contact information is accurate and up to date in order for you to receive emergency notifications.
- STUDENT Instructions for adding/updating contact info for emergency notifications
- STUDENT Instructions for adding/updating PARENT phone info for emergency notifications
- FACULTY/STAFF Instructions for adding/updating contact info for emergency notifications
What RIT Alert is:
A method to effectively communicate emergency information to a large number of people at virtually the same time
What RIT Alert is not:
A way to send non-emergency, routine or spam messages
Situations for which RIT Alert will be used may include but are not limited to:
- Campus closings
- Building Emergencies
- Potential life-threatening situations on campus
- Extreme Weather Conditions
- Activation of Emergency Response Teams
Under what conditions would I not receive these messages?
- If you have "opted-out" of the notification database
- If you are not a registered student (classes or co-op) or an active RIT employee at the time of notification
- If the information provided in Oracle or the myRIT portal is not accurate or up to date
- Issues with your mobile device service provider
- Spam filter may have blocked an e-mail from being delivered
- Your IM service tool privacy settings may need to be modified
Kinds of messages that will be sent:
Not every emergency can be anticipated, however, RIT has developed some emergency messages that can be modified easily for use in a number of situations. This will allow notifications to be sent quickly. The messages are deliberately short (160 characters or less) to accommodate text devices. See messages and explanations
How will I know the message is from RIT Alert?
You’ll know the message is from RIT Alert by the message sender:
- For a text message: 89361
- For a phone call: (818) 847-2511 (Natl Notification Network)
- For an e-mail: RITAlert@rit.edu
- For an IM: (update your privacy settings in your IM tool to receive messages from these senders)
Contact Information Sources
Contact information used for the EMNS is taken directly from information provided by students, staff and faculty in existing systems. It is the responsibility of faculty, staff and students to make sure this information is accurate and up to date in order to receive notifications.
- Students - Student Information System (http://infocenter.rit.edu)
- Faculty/Staff - Oracle Self Service - Human Resources ( http://myinfo.rit.edu)
If a student is also an employee or an employee is also a student, BOTH the portal and Oracle must be kept up to date.
Opting Out
Participating in the Emergency Mass Notification System (EMNS) is voluntary. If a student, faculty or staff member wishes not to participate, (s)he must positively indicate this in either the myRIT portal (students) or Oracle Human Resources Self-Service (faculty/staff). By opting out, the student, faculty or staff member's information will not be sent to the EMNS. Therefore, no emergency messages will be received by persons who opt out. If the opt-out is not used, any data in the system of record will be used for emergency notifications by the EMNS
Privacy
Contact information collected by the Business Continuity Office is for use in the EMNS only. The Business Continuity Office will not use this Information for any other purpose than emergency notification. See RIT Policy D15.0, Educational Records.
Participant Conduct
This service is designed to alert individual participants when an emergency occurs requiring RIT community attention or action. It is critical that participants:
- DO input their information completely and accurately
- DO update their information when it changes
- DO NOT input false contact information
- DO NOT input others' contact information
Costs of Service
The EMNS is provided free of charge to active RIT staff, faculty and students. There is no cost associated with participation in the service. However, participants are responsible for charges made by service providers related to text messages and mobile phone calls - actual and test messages.
Testing
The EMNS will be tested at least quarterly in conjunction with the RIT Message Center (myRIT) Institute Emergencies Alert Test. Additional testing may be conducted as part of drills and exercises, or as necessary.
Violations or More Information
To report any violations of these terms of use or request information about the EMNS, contact the Director of Business Continuity, 585-475-7812 or lbdrmss@rit.edu.
