Notifications put into action for first time
Director of Security Steve Leonard said the college’s emergency notification system has been in place for three years, but April 5 was the first time the system was actually used in an emergency situation.
Tornado sirens blared while college personnel advised students and faculty to take shelter in the lowest level of the building they were in, away from windows and other glass.
Students and staff members who had signed up for the emergency text messaging system also received a text warning about the bad weather, advising everyone to take shelter.
Some students who were registered to receive the texts either never received them at all or received them too late to be useful. Leonard said that a message’s arrival time will vary depending on cell signal and the individual’s cell phone provider.
Coincidentally, the notification system was tested for the first time the week before the severe weather. Only two of the people involved in the testing did not receive the text quickly, Leonard said.
One of these students had entered the cell number into the system incorrectly and the other had a bad cell signal.
An e-mail explaining how to sign up for the texting service was sent to unregistered students and faculty the day after the sirens went off. E-mail, the college website, calling trees and the tornado siren are all used as emergency notification methods also.
“I think that it’s good the school can alert students about an emergency situation through a form of communication in which they are most familiar,” said freshman Amanda Welches.
The tornado siren is controlled by the city of Franklin and tested every Saturday at noon, except the Saturday of commencement, Leonard said.
Residence Hall Coordinator Jennifer Culver said if students hear the siren sound any time other than on the test day, they should immediately go to the lowest level of the building, stay away from glass and windows and listen for additional directions or information from college personnel.
Fines for not following the guidelines are based on individual cases. The consequences are decided judicially by Residence Life. Culver said student safety is Residence Life’s first priority.
Each building has designated places for students in the case of severe weather.
Students living in Johnson-Dietz should report to the lowest rooms or area of the building, preferably the bathrooms where there are no windows.
Students in other buildings should seek shelter in the basement.
The residential staff receives alerts immediately during threatening weather and works to make sure people find and make it safely to the lowest level for shelter.
