Duke to test DukeALERT notification system on April 21

posted April 12th, 2011

At about 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 21, Duke will conduct a test of the various communication tools of the DukeALERT notification system.

This event is part of a periodic test of the DukeALERT communication tools that will also help raise awareness about how Duke community members will be notified of an emergency. The test is conducted once during the spring and fall semesters and once during the summer, when the audience is significantly different with various camps and programs on campus.

 

As part of the test, Duke community members will be encouraged to respond to an online survey to assess the effectiveness of various DukeALERT communication methods. The survey will be posted on the DukeALERT website (http://emergency.duke.edu) once the test begins. The results will help determine how people were notified, which methods worked best for different groups and whether staff members know their severe weather/emergency conditions service category. The results will also help identify areas for improvement.

The notification methods used in the DukeALERT system include emergency email, the emergency website (including blog capability and an RSS feed), a telephone recording, the outdoor warning system and text messaging.

Emergency text messages will be sent to all students and any faculty or staff members who have registered to receive them. Sign up for this service.