ACC

Timely Warnings / Crime Alerts and Emergency Notifications (ACC Emergency Alert / RAVE) - Annual Security Report

TXAnnual Security ReportACC Emergency Alerthigh confidence

Austin Community College documents the RAVE-powered ACC Emergency Alert system for district-wide email/text emergency notifications and Clery crime alerts, with Chief of Police decision authority and thrice-yearly Emergency Preparedness Week testing.

Read the official policy

Institution

Austin Community College

Community College · TX

~40,000 studentsACC Emergency Alert

In the policy’s own words

What the policy says

ACC Emergency Alert auto-enrollmentverbatim

"ACC Emergency Alert" is the system used to communicate urgent messages to students and employees via text message and ACC email. Students and employees are automatically registered to receive alerts via email. Additionally, students and employees with a mobile number on file are automatically registered to receive alerts via text message.

Named ACC Emergency Alert with auto email and conditional SMS enrollment.

ACC ASR - ACC Emergency Alert section

Chief of police crime alert decision pathverbatim

When a crime is reported to ACCDPD or the Clery compliance officer, the crime is initially assessed to determine if it is a Clery crime, in Clery geography, that presents a serious or continuing threat. If it is determined that all conditions may be true, the ACC chief of police or their designee is contacted to determine whether a crime alert will be issued.

Three-condition assessment before chief of police TW decision.

ACC ASR - Timely Warnings / Crime Alerts

Emergency notification confirmation standardverbatim

ACC issues emergency notifications upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation occurring on campus involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees.

On-campus immediate threat confirmation standard for EN.

ACC ASR - Issuing an Emergency Notification

Thrice-yearly Emergency Preparedness Week testingverbatim

Communication procedures are tested three times per year during Emergency Preparedness Week (held the 3rd week of every semester - fall, spring, and summer).

Fixed thrice-yearly emergency communications testing cadence.

ACC ASR - Testing of Communication Procedures

At a glance

How this policy works

When it activates: Crime alert/timely warning: Clery crime in Clery geography presenting serious or continuing threat after chief of police assessment. Emergency notification: confirmed significant emergency or dangerous situation on campus involving immediate threat to health or safety of students or employees.
Who decides: Crime alert: ACC chief of police or designee, often with Clery compliance officer. Emergency confirmation: ACC District Police, public health (disease), or emergency management coordinator (weather). EN content: chief of police and emergency management coordinator for incident commander approval. Alert system initiation: typically emergency management coordinator or designee.
Timeliness standard: Crime alerts as soon as pertinent information is available. Emergency notifications without delay upon confirmation, taking campus safety into account, unless professional judgment holds notification would compromise victim assistance or mitigation. Communication systems tested three times per year.
Emergency notification vs. timely warning: ASR sections on ACC Emergency Alert, Timely Warnings/Crime Alerts, and Emergency Notifications with RAVE backend and explicit dual-purpose crime-alert vs EN distinction.
Testing cadence: Three times per year during Emergency Preparedness Week (third week of every semester: fall, spring, and summer); at minimum activates alert beacons and district-wide email/text messaging.
Scope & limits: No crime alert required for crimes reported only to professional or pastoral counselors. EN may substitute for TW on same circumstances with required follow-up. Segmented building/population notifications allowed when threat is limited. Partner/family text opt-in is separate from student/employee auto-enrollment.

ChannelsSmsEmailWebsiteFacebookDigital Signage

Analysis

Reading the policy

Austin Community College (multi-campus district, TX) publishes ACC Emergency Alert, Timely Warnings/Crime Alerts, and Emergency Notifications procedures in its official Annual Security Report (hosted via ACC's published ASR link). ACC Emergency Alert, powered by RAVE Mobile Safety (getrave.com/login/austincc), communicates urgent messages via text and ACC email. Students and employees are automatically registered for email alerts; those with a mobile number on file are auto-registered for text. Partners and families can opt in by texting ACCPARTNERS or ACCFAMILY to 780-15. When a crime is reported to ACC District Police or the Clery compliance officer, it is assessed for Clery crime status, Clery geography, and serious/continuing threat; the chief of police or designee decides whether to issue a crime alert, often with the Clery compliance officer. Crime alerts issue as soon as pertinent information is available and withhold victim names. Public safety advisories may cover non-Clery or off-geography situations. If an emergency notification is issued, a separate timely warning/crime alert is not required for the same circumstances, but follow-up must be provided as needed. Emergency notifications issue upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation on campus involving immediate threat to student/employee health or safety, without delay unless notification would compromise victim assistance or mitigation. ACC District Police generally learn of emergencies first; public health and emergency management handle disease and weather exceptions. Content is often pre-scripted; otherwise chief of police and emergency management coordinator develop messages for incident commander approval. Distribution is generally district-wide email and text at minimum, with optional alert beacons, homepage, Newsroom, social networks, and face-to-face. The emergency management coordinator typically initiates the alert system. Communication procedures are tested three times per year during Emergency Preparedness Week (third week of fall, spring, and summer). Complements the archive's large ACC case volume.

Takeaways

Key findings

RAVE-backed ACC Emergency Alert with auto email and auto SMS when mobile on file.

Chief of police decides crime alerts after Clery crime/geography/threat assessment.

Communication procedures tested three times per year during Emergency Preparedness Week.

Policy, meet practice

When this system actually fired

22 documented times ACC’s alert system was used, from the case archive.

+ 14 more in the case archive.

Provenance

Sources

Official
Austin Community College Annual Security Report (official ASR link)
austincc.edu
archived copy