Policy

The Board of Trustees delegates authority to the President and/or their designee to communicate quickly and effectively with students, faculty, staff and other college constituents in case of emergencies or disruptions to college operations.

Reason for Policy

To promote a safe environment and codify emergency notification, non-emergency notification, and timely warning procedures.

To Whom Does the Policy Apply

All students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Related Resources

• Emergency Preparedness Plan
• Appendix 228A: Internal Protocol for Closing Decisions (Confidential)
• Appendix 228B: Confidential Resources (Confidential)
• Policy 640: Mass Communications
• Policy 611: Closing of College

Contacts

Emergency Preparedness

Public Safety

Last Revised: July 2024 

The Board of Trustees delegates authority to the President and/or their designees to communicate with college constituents in case of emergencies or disruptions to college operations.

I. Guidelines

The following guidelines shall serve the College in issuing emergency notifications, select non-emergency notifications, and timely warnings. To ensure timely and accurate dissemination of important information and to reach as many persons as possible, these notifications and warnings will be issued to all registered participants via one or more of the College’s mass communications systems (Alert Me Now, mass email, mass voicemail, Web messages, official social media accounts, information line.)

When appropriate and possible, College-issued notifications and Timely Warnings, as defined in this procedure, shall be authored keeping in mind that clarity and accuracy are paramount, and that public concern may escalate.

II. Event Types/Examples/Protocols

The College will use existing notification systems and protocols appropriate to the event type and its severity. Prior to issuing a notification or warning, consultation is expected when possible among the appropriate College officials available at the time of the event. Exception: The Public Safety Tour Commander on duty may issue alerts without prior consultation for what they deem to be life-threatening situations and acts of imminent or possible danger.

a. Emergency Notifications
Note: The College issues Emergency Notifications in accordance with the Clery Act.

1. Event Type: Life-threatening Situation(s) and/or Acts of Imminent or Possible Danger
The College is required to immediately notify the campus community upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation occurring on the campus that involves an immediate threat to the health or safety of community members.

• • Examples include but are not limited to events that portend danger and/or significant destruction:
    • hostile intruder(s) or person(s) that represent a danger to the community
    • natural disasters (blizzard, hurricane, earthquake, flood)
    • man-made disasters (raging/approaching fire, cyber-attack, utility-related danger, chemical spill or release, explosion, bomb threats)
  • Notification Protocol:
    • The Public Safety Tour Commander on duty will craft and issue the emergency notification immediately.
    • At a point after the event has abated (as determined by the Director of Public Safety or the Incident Command Officer), the College Spokesperson or designee will be responsible for drafting and distributing update notifications, as needed, to the community.
  • Notification System Options:
    • Alert Me Now Suite
    • Mass Voicemail
    • Mass Email
    • Campus Television Displays
    • Official Social Media
    • RCNJ Internet Home Page
    • RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site
    • RCNJ Intranet Home Page
    • RCNJ Information Line (201-236-2902)

b. Non-Emergency Notifications

1. Event Type: Weather/Utility-Related Disruptions

• • Examples include but are not limited to events that may necessitate closures, cancellations, operational shifts, or delays, such as:
    • snow or ice storms
    • flooding
    • power/utility outages
    • infrastructure/system failures
  • Notification Protocol:
    • Depending on the nature of the situation, the Vice Presidents overseeing Public Safety and/or Emergency Preparedness, or their designees will draft the notification for distribution to the community by the Public Safety Tour Commander. The Director of Communications & Public Relations serves as an alternate to the Tour Commander for the distribution of the notification.
    • At a point after the event has abated (as determined by the Vice President(s) or their designee), the Vice Presidents or their designees will be responsible, as needed, for drafting update notifications for distribution to the community by the Director of Communications & Public Relations.
    • These protocols are further defined in the confidential resource: Apprendix 228A.
  • Notification System Options:
    • Alert Me Now Text
    • Alert Me Now Email
    • Alert Me Now Phone Call
    • Mass Email
    • Official Social Media
    • RCNJ Internet Home Page
    • RCNJ Intranet Home Page
    • RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site

2. Event Type: Timely Information Relevant to Compliance, Substantive Concerns, and/or Non Life-Threatening Situations

• • Examples include but are not limited to non life-threatening situations or concerns that require broad and timely information dissemination or clarification, such as to:
    • mitigate broad concern and/or the potential for significant misinformation
    • satisfy compliance/regulatory requirements associated with state or federal regulations and executive orders
    • alert the community to significant shifts in campus activity levels, traffic patterns, or parking
    • provide support to local law enforcement
    • convey other serious non life-threatening situations as determined by the President or their designee
  • Notification Protocol:
    • Depending on the nature of the situation, the College Spokesperson or relevant College Authority (see Section IV) will draft the notification for distribution to the community by the Public Safety Tour Commander. The Director of Communications & Public Relations serves as an alternate to the Tour Commander for the distribution of the notification.
    • At a point after the situation has abated (as determined by the College Spokesperson or College Authority), the College Spokesperson or College Authority will be responsible, as needed, for drafting update notifications for distribution to the community by the Director of Communications & Public Relations.
  • Notification System Options:
    • Alert Me Now Text
    • Alert Me Now Email
    • Alert Me Now Phone Call
    • Mass Email
    • Official Social Media
    • RCNJ Internet Home Page
    • RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site
    • RCNJ Intranet Home Page
    • RCNJ Information Line (201-236-2902)

c. Timely Warnings

1. Event Type: Timely Warnings

Note: The College issues Timely Warnings as required by the Clery Act, when a Clery Crime (described below) has occurred within the College’s Clery geography, which may present a serious or continuing threat to the campus community.

Timely Warnings may be issued for other crime categories and for off-campus crimes at the sole discretion of the College. Timely Warnings are released as soon as:

• • • pertinent information is confirmed,
    • it is determined there is an ongoing threat, and
    • useful information can be disseminated to help mitigate the threat and prevent future incidents.

The names of victims and information that would lead to the identification of a victim are considered confidential and are not released in a Timely Warning.

• • Examples of crimes include but are not limited to:
    • criminal homicide
    • sex offenses
    • aggravated assault
    • robbery
    • burglary
    • arson
    • motor vehicle theft
  • Timely Warning Protocols:
    • Depending on the nature of the continuing threat and the involvement of law enforcement and first responders, the Public Safety Tour Commander on duty may issue the initial Timely Warning notice, or the Vice President overseeing Public Safety and/or Title IX or their designee may draft the message and direct the Tour Commander to issue the Timely Warning. The Director of Communications & Public Relations serves as an alternate to the Tour Commander for the distribution of the notification.
    • At a point after the threat has abated (as determined by the Director of Public Safety or the Incident Command Officer), the College Spokesperson or designee will be responsible, as needed, for drafting update notifications for distribution to the community by the Director of Communications & Public Relations.
  • Notification System Options:
    • Alert Me Now Text
    • Alert Me Now Email
    • Alert Me Now Phone Call
    • Mass Voicemail
    • Mass Email
    • Official Social Media
    • RCNJ Internet Home Page
    • RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site
    • RCNJ Intranet Home Page

III. Notification System Options

As described in this procedure, those authorized to issue emergency/non-emergency notifications and Timely Warnings may access all or a combination of the systems listed below. The determination of which available systems are deployed shall be made by the individual(s) responsible for distributing the notification.

• Alert Me Now
  • The Alert Me Now Portal is the most rapid and efficient way to notify registered users of an emergency. The Alert Me Now Suite includes notifications via 8 different platforms:

1. Text
2. Email
3. Phone Call/Voicemail
4. Twitter/Facebook
5. Alertus
6. RSS Feed
7. Computer Desktop
8. Converged Application Platform

• Mass Voicemail
  • The Mass Voicemail system may only be used in the event of life-threatening situation(s) and/or acts of imminent or possible danger.
  • Mass Voicemails can be sent by select users via:

1. Alert Me Now
2. Voicemail

• • This protocol is further defined in Appendix 228B.
• Mass Email
  • The Mass Email system (separate from Alert Me Now Email) may be used to augment Alert Me Now notifications or to communicate post-event.
  • Mass Emails can be sent by select users through the use of Outlook/Gmail and other ITS-supported Communications Automation Platforms.
• Official Social Media Accounts
  • The College’s Official Social Media Accounts (separate from Alert Me Now) will generally link readers to the RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site as appropriate and serve to help steward public inquiry.
  • The accounts are managed by the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
• RCNJ Internet Home Page
  • The RCNJ Internet Home Page may feature an abbreviated version of the notification and link readers to the RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site for more information.
  • The site is managed by Marketing with access provided to the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
• RCNJ Intranet Home Page
  • The RCNJ Intranet Home Page is accessible to the internal community only, may feature an abbreviated version of the notification, and will link readers to the RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site for more information.
  • The site is managed by Marketing with access provided to the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
• RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site
  • The RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site provides readers with additional information as appropriate.
  • The site is managed by Marketing with access provided to the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
• RCNJ Information Line (201-236-2902)
  • The RCNJ Information Line provides callers with pre-recorded messages consistent with available information and directs callers to the RCNJ Emergency Preparedness Site and other resources as appropriate.
  • The Information Line is managed by People Operations and Employee Resources.
  • This protocol is further defined in Appendix 228B.

IV. Authority & Responsibility

The authority and responsibility to activate the College’s notification procedures as described in this procedure primarily rests with the following College Authorities:

• President or designee
• Vice Presidents or designees
• College Spokesperson or designee
• Chief Information Officer
• Director of Public Safety
• Public Safety Tour Commander

In all circumstances, the responsible College Authority shall make their best effort to draft, vet, distribute, and assess emergency notifications in accordance with the College’s Emergency Preparedness Plan. Further, the College recognizes that, should law enforcement or first responders be in command during an emergency, College-issued notifications may require authorization by the designated incident command officer.