PCC
Timely Warning Notices and Emergency Alert System (Blackboard Connect) - Annual Security Report
Piedmont Community College documents Timely Warning Notices via Blackboard Connect Emergency Alert System with College Safety and VP Administrative Services/CFO issuance and President activation authority in the College Safety Plan.
Read the official policyInstitution
Piedmont Community College
Community College · NC
~2,500 studentsEmergency Alert System / Blackboard Connect
In the policy’s own words
What the policy says
Blackboard Connect EAS adoptionverbatim
Piedmont Community College has adopted Blackboard Connect as part of the College's Emergency Alert System. The Blackboard Connect system allows PCC to notify faculty/staff quickly by sending voice, email and text messages should an emergency situation occur that may threaten the collegial environment.
- Named Blackboard Connect as EAS platform for voice/email/text.
Blackboard Connect alert transmissionverbatim
Once the College determines that an alert will be issued, the department transmits the message utilizing Blackboard Connect.
- Blackboard Connect is the transmission path for alerts.
President activates EASverbatim
The President or designee will determine when a message is to be broadcasted and will instruct his/her administrative assistant to activate the Emergency Alert System.
- President/designee owns EAS activation decision.
At a glance
How this policy works
- When it activates
- Timely Warning / Emergency Alert for certain crimes in and around the community that warrant community notification. EAS for campus emergencies before, during, and after incidents threatening the collegial environment.
- Who decides
- College Safety Office with VP Administrative Services/CFO issues Emergency Alerts. President or designee determines when to broadcast and instructs administrative assistant to activate EAS. Switchboard escalates to College Safety Official, President, or VP.
- Timeliness standard
- Emergency Alerts issued in a timely manner. Annual emergency response and evacuation testing. Periodic EAS testing for safety measures.
- Emergency notification vs. timely warning
- ASR Timely Warning Notices and Emergency Alert System sections with named Blackboard Connect EAS; Safety Plan Methods of Communication.
- Testing cadence
- Emergency response and evacuation procedures and systems tested annually (announced and unannounced exercises documented). Periodic EAS testing.
- Scope & limits
- Students and employees encouraged to register with Blackboard Connect. Faculty/staff enrollment at no cost. Digital signs and website supplement Blackboard Connect.
ChannelsSmsEmailPhone CallDigital SignageWebsiteFacebookPa System
Analysis
Reading the policy
Piedmont Community College (Roxboro/Person County, NC) publishes Timely Warning Notices and Emergency Alert System procedures in its Annual Security and Fire Safety Report and College Safety Plan. The College Safety Office, with the Vice President of Administrative Services/CFO, issues Emergency Alerts in a timely manner for certain crimes in and around the community. Once an alert is determined, the message is transmitted via Blackboard Connect; students and employees are encouraged to register for email, audio, text, and social media notifications and keep contacts current. Alerts also post on digital signs and the College website.
PCC adopted Blackboard Connect as part of the Emergency Alert System for voice, email, and text when emergencies threaten the collegial environment. Faculty/staff enroll at no cost. Periodic system testing is conducted. The College Safety Plan states EAS activates when switchboard contacts a College Safety Official, the President, or any available VP; notifications go via Blackboard Connect (text, voice, email, digital signage), VoIP speaker phones, and verbal College Safety Officials. The President or designee determines when to broadcast and instructs activation. Emergency response and evacuation systems are tested annually. Complements Person/Caswell NC CC coverage.
Takeaways
Key findings
Blackboard Connect is the Emergency Alert System for voice, email, text, and digital signage.
College Safety and VP Administrative Services/CFO issue timely Emergency Alerts.
President or designee activates EAS; annual emergency response testing.
Policy, meet practice
When this system actually fired
7 documented times PCC’s alert system was used, from the case archive.
Provenance
Sources
- Official
- Official
Tags
north-carolinacommunity-collegeclery-asrblackboard-connectemergency-alert-systemwider-reach
Added 2026-07-27Updated 2026-07-27Via ingestion