Storm offers timely reminder on GB Alert service

When UW-Green Bay announced on Jan. 30 it would cancel evening classes because a winter storm was making driving increasingly hazardous, an emergency text message was sent mid-afternoon to students, faculty and staff.

More precisely, it was sent mid-afternoon to those students, faculty, staff and others already signed up with the voluntary GB Alert emergency message system. (The announcement was also made via other channels including the campus website, emails, public media and social media.)

Police Lt. Jeff Gross of UW-Green Bay Public Safety later took the opportunity to remind non-subscribers of the availability and value of the service.

Here is the content of Public Safety’s all-campus email:

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
 
Last Wednesday’s snowstorm offers a good opportunity to remind you of the availability of the GB Alert emergency-notification service and the easy online steps to subscribe.
 
Those who have already signed on to GB Alert know that within minutes of the University’s decision to cancel evening classes, we were able to text a message to their cell phone or email account (or both, if the recipient chooses).
 
GB Alert is voluntary, and will be used for emergency notification purposes only. Emergencies include credible, on-going incidents that pose a threat to the University Community, or, as was the case Wednesday, serious weather-related alerts. GB Alert is never used to distribute routine announcements or other unsolicited content.

If you are not already registered to receive GB Alert notifications, we encourage you to learn more about the system and sign up at our GB Alert webpage, http://www.uwgb.edu/publicsafety/GBAlert/index.html

Thank you,

Lt. Jeff Gross