Emergency Notification System and ScotsAlert

ScotsAlert

In the event of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees, including the necessity to evacuate the campus, a ScotsAlert will be immediately disseminated to the campus community. In the event that an evacuation of the campus is necessary, students and employees will be directed to a safe location.

ScotsAlerts are rapidly sent important messages for all members of the Covenant community. In addition to emergency notifications, ScotsAlerts are also used to notify the Covenant community about other potential hazards, campus closings, inclement weather, or other critical information. ScotsAlerts used for emergency notifications will issue a warning to the community to take immediate and appropriate action to prevent a potential life threatening event from occurring.

The Covenant email accounts of students, faculty, and staff are automatically registered for email notifications by ScotsAlerts. In addition, students and employees alike are strongly encouraged to register their cell phones* and if desired an additional email account and/or a landline telephone number.

*There is no charge to register for and receive ScotsAlerts. If you choose to receive text messages, standard carrier texting rates apply. Community members' subscription information is private and will not be shared. ScotsAlerts are also communicated directly to the College's Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Campus Sirens

In addition to ScotsAlerts, the college also has the capability when necessary to broadcast emergency notifications over our public address system (campus sirens). In the event of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat on campus, we will likely broadcast one of two siren alert tones.

For a weather emergency such as a tornado warning, the on campus siren will broadcast the standard mass alert "Wail" tone. (A recording of the "Wail" tone is shown below.) When hearing this tone, all members of the campus community should immediately seek shelter in the nearest Tornado Evacuation Zone (view map). Additionally, these Tornado Evacuation Zones are illustrated on signage posted throughout the campus.

For an emergency involving an imminent threat on Covenant College, the on campus siren will broadcast the standard mass alert "Hi/ Low" tone. (A recording of the "Hi/ Low" tone is shown below.) Examples of immediate or imminent threats on campus could be an active shooter or other armed intruder, a terrorist attack, a bomb threat, explosion, civil rioting, or a chemical or hazardous spill.

When the siren stops, this does not indicate the danger has passed. The "all clear" message will be communicated via a ScotsAlert.

When hearing the siren or other public address announcement, all members of the campus community should consult their most readily available ScotsAlert outlet for more detailed information. A texted version of a ScotsAlert message is always limited to a defined number (159) of characters. An emailed version of a ScotsAlert message will likely contain more information.

On the first Wednesday of each month, following Chapel, we will conduct a test of the college's emergency notification system. This will include both our ScotsAlerts messaging system and the public address system.