Forsyth Tech

Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications (TechAlert) - Annual Security Report

NCAnnual Security ReportTechAlerthigh confidence

Forsyth Technical Community College publishes institution-specific Timely Warning and Emergency Notification procedures in its 2025 ASR, branding both channels as TechAlert with distinct message headings for Clery timely warnings versus immediate threats.

Read the official policy

Institution

Forsyth Technical Community College

Community College · NC

~11,000 studentsTechAlert

In the policy’s own words

What the policy says

TechAlert timely warning headingverbatim

Timely warnings are disseminated through the TechAlert system. The heading of these messages will say "Timely Warning: (insert nature of crime)."

Distinct TW message heading under TechAlert brand.

Forsyth Tech 2025 ASR - Timely Warnings

Timely warning decision authorityverbatim

The Chief of Police or their designee, in conjunction with the Chief Operations Officer or designee, is responsible for making the decision to issue a timely warning.

Joint police and COO decision path for timely warnings.

Forsyth Tech 2025 ASR - Timely Warnings authority

Emergency notification heading and channelsverbatim

Emergency notifications will typically be disseminated by email and text message, using the TechAlert system. The heading of these messages will say "Forsyth Tech Alert."

EN uses distinct "Forsyth Tech Alert" heading via email and SMS.

Forsyth Tech 2025 ASR - Emergency Notifications

At a glance

How this policy works

When it activates: Timely warning: Clery Act crime (or other serious crime at chief discretion) reported within Clery geography presenting serious or ongoing threat. Emergency notification: confirmed significant emergency or dangerous situation on campus involving immediate threat to health or safety of students or employees.
Who decides: Timely warning: Chief of Police or designee with Chief Operations Officer or designee. Emergency notification content, segment, and distribution: Lieutenant/Emergency Manager, Chief of Police, Assistant Chief of Police, Office of Marketing and Communications, or designated Campus Police substitute.
Timeliness standard: Timely warnings issued as soon as pertinent information is available. Emergency notifications issued immediately upon confirmation without delay, taking community safety into account, unless notification would compromise victim assistance or emergency mitigation.
Emergency notification vs. timely warning: ASR policy statements for Clery timely warnings and HEOA emergency notifications, with TechAlert as the primary mass-notification system and explicit dual-heading protocol.
Testing cadence: Full-scale test of the TechAlert Emergency Notification system at least once a year; tests evaluated for timeliness of message delivery.
Scope & limits: No TechAlert required for crimes reported only to professional or pastoral counselors. If an emergency notification is issued, a separate timely warning is not required for the same circumstances, but follow-up information must be issued as needed. Off-campus crimes posing ongoing threat may still receive a timely warning at chief discretion.

ChannelsEmailSmsPhone CallWebsiteFacebookPa System

Analysis

Reading the policy

Forsyth Tech, a multi-campus North Carolina Community College System institution in the Winston-Salem area, documents Clery timely-warning and HEOA emergency-notification procedures under the TechAlert brand in its 2025 Annual Security Report PDF. Timely warnings cover Clery Act crimes within Forsyth Tech geography that pose a serious or ongoing threat; messages are headed "Timely Warning: (nature of crime)" and must reach the entire campus community because criminal threats are often not location-limited. Decision authority sits with the Chief of Police or designee in conjunction with the Chief Operations Officer or designee, on a five-factor case-by-case basis (nature, continuing danger, elapsed time, offender custody, law-enforcement compromise). Emergency notifications cover confirmed immediate threats to health or safety on campus property (weather, fire, contagious illness, active shooter, bomb threat, hazmat, and similar). The Lieutenant/Emergency Manager confirms the event with first responders; authorized senders include that Lieutenant, Chief and Assistant Chief of Police, Marketing and Communications, or designated substitutes. EN messages are headed "Forsyth Tech Alert" and typically go by email and text via TechAlert, with optional phone, fire alarm, paper postings, TechLink, and social media. Segmented notifications are allowed when only a small portion of campus is affected. A full-scale TechAlert test runs at least annually. Complements the Campus Safety Clery compliance web page.

Takeaways

Key findings

TechAlert dual-heading protocol: "Timely Warning: (crime)" vs "Forsyth Tech Alert" for EN.

Chief of Police + Chief Operations Officer joint authority for timely warnings.

Lieutenant/Emergency Manager confirms threats; five named roles may send EN without delay.

Policy, meet practice

When this system actually fired

1 documented time Forsyth Tech’s alert system was used, from the case archive.

Provenance

Sources

Official
Forsyth Technical Community College 2025 Annual Security Report PDF
forsythtech.edu
archived copy
Official Policy
Forsyth Tech Clery Act Compliance - Campus Safety
forsythtech.edu
archived copy