Preparedness and Notification Plans

Elms College is diligent about preparing for situations we never could have anticipated happening, and we recognize the important role that immediate communication plays in keeping all of us safe. As part of a comprehensive security plan, ElmsAlert, Elms College has added the Connect-ED system, which gives campus leaders and security professionals the ability to reach all students, faculty, and staff within minutes with information and updates during unforeseen events or emergencies, through phone calls, e-mails, and/or text messages. During a health scare, campus threat, or other event in the public interest, effective communication with students and staff has a direct impact on our safety.

Connect-Ed enables campus leaders to schedule, send, and track personalized voice messages to up to six phone numbers per person, and immediately sends messages via voice messages to home, work, and cell phones; text messages to cell phones, PDAs and other text-based devices; written messages to e-mail accounts; and messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired.

Connect-Ed has a successful track record and multi-modal capabilities which allow us to keep students and staff informed about any emergency whether they are in their dorms, sitting in front of their computers, or on their way to class. During a time-sensitive situation, multi-modal communication is critical as it is a more comprehensive way to reach people in the environment they may be in at the moment an issue arises. Communication is sent simultaneously to all available contact points for each person.

The system can be used to notify entire student populations and staff members of school closures and contingency plans due to inclement weather, issues arising from pandemics, or other late-breaking developments. Connect-ED has been successfully used for communication by schools across the country during events such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ernesto, school shootings, campus notifications required by the Clery Act, and to help locate missing children.

Contact information included in the Connect-ED service will only be used for campus emergency notifications and will not be made available to any other service.