GRCC Public Safety Advisory

GRCC Police are investigating a report of a larceny of a wallet, stolen out of a purse in the area of the Quiet Cafe,  in the Student Center. This occurred on April 3, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. While investigating this incident, it was discovered that a different wallet was found by custodians on April 2.

Please be aware of your surroundings, and keep your valuables in a secure (zipped) purse or backpack and do not leave items unattended. It is also helpful to keep purses in front of you versus on the back of a chair out of your line of sight.

If you know anything about this incident or see something suspicious, please call Campus Police at 234-4911.

 

Know the difference between a closing and a delay.

Winter weather is here!

Take three steps to make sure you are prepared.

1. Get the message.

a. Notifications of closings and delayed starts will be sent to your email, via text to your cell phone and via automated message to your phone.

b. Make sure you will receive those messages by logging in to your Online Center and making sure your cell phone number is listed as “mobile,” and your preferred email address is listed.

2. Know the difference between “GRCC – Delay,” “GRCC Closed – DAY Classes,” and “GRCC – Closed”

a. “GRCC – Delay” means:

– Campus Police and Custodial staff are to report as scheduled.

– Faculty and Staff report at 10 a.m.

– Classes or activities that begin at 11 a.m. or later will be held as scheduled.

b. “GRCC – Closed” means

– Cancellation of all GRCC day and evening classes and activities on all campuses.

c. “GRCC Closed – DAY Classes” means:

– Cancellation of all GRCC day classes and activities on all campuses

– The determination to open for the evening will be made by 2 p.m.

– Second shift Campus Police and Custodial staff report as scheduled.

– Library staff report at 5 p.m.

– Classes that begin 6 p.m. or later will be held as scheduled.

– Certain academic departments will need additional protocol to handle implications.

3. Read the GRCC Emergency Closing Procedures 

Raider Salute from Campus Dining

Campus Dining Services would like to salute Tom Smith, Bob Green, Gary Natte  and the entire facilities crew, Vicki Janowiak, Gilda Gely, Art Johnson, Shelly Urbane and their departments for their extra efforts and support for this past week’s progressive reception.

With the college being closed on January 6 and 7, each one of them stepped up and went above and beyond to ensure that the event went as smooth as possible with snow clearing, set up and additional resources that were needed.

A huge thank you from Dan Zehr and the Campus Dining staff.

Emergency Communication Tests Planned

Campus-wide emergency communication drills are planned for Wednesday and Thursday, September 5 & 6.  We will be conducting drills of the entire communication system:

• Emergency Phone Alert System
• Outdoor pedestals and PA systems
• All forms of electronic communication (email, web, text message)
• Text to Voice auto calls
• Social media

Following the drills, we will be asking employees and students to provide feedback via a web survey.  I

ATC Fire Alarm Testing 8/13/12

The State Fire Inspector will be on site Monday August 13th for inspection of the new Molecular Diagnostic Lab and Secchia Teaching Kitchen in the ATC building. The inspection is scheduled for 1:00 pm but there will need to flexibility to allow systems to be tested when the inspector arrives. The test will involve activating the alarm/strobe system, if the alarm sounds for more than several minutes consider it to be a real alarm and evacuate the building.

Reminder – Tornado Drills Scheduled for This Week

Given the unseasonably warm – and unpredictable – weather we’ve been experiencing, the emergency response is planning a series of tornado drills in preparation for inclement spring weather.  For a list of evacuation locations in the event of a tornado, visit www.grcc.edu/tornado

These will take place April 4-5; below is the schedule for your review and for your planning purposes:

Tentative Tornado Drill Schedule:

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

• Spectrum Theater 8:15 AM
• ATC 8:45 AM
• LRC 9:15 AM
• Music Building 9:45 AM

Thursday, April 5

• Calkins Science Center 8:45 AM
• Ford Field House 9:15 AM
• Student Center 9:45 AM
• Cook & College Park Plaza 10:15 AM
• Main 10:45 AM
• DeVos Campus | Sneden, White Hall & Admin Building 11:30 AM
• Tassell MTEC 2:00 PM

Thank you in advance for your participation. Please contact theCommunications Department with your questions.

City and County Testing Warning Sirens on First of Month

Beginning April 6, 2012 and continuing through October 5, 2012, the Kent County Sheriff Department and the City of Grand Rapids will be activating their emergency outdoor warning sirens at noon, on the first Friday of every month.

Tornado Drills Scheduled for Next Week

Given the unseasonably warm – and unpredictable – weather we’ve been experiencing, the emergency response is planning a series of tornado drills in preparation for inclement spring weather. These will take place April 4-5; below is the schedule for your review and for your planning purposes:

Tentative Tornado Drill Schedule:

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

• Spectrum Theater 8:15 AM
• ATC 8:45 AM
• LRC 9:15 AM
• Music Building 9:45 AM

Thursday, April 5

• Calkins Science Center 8:45 AM
• Ford Field House 9:15 AM
• Student Center 9:45 AM
• Cook & College Park Plaza 10:15 AM
• Main 10:45 AM
• DeVos Campus | Sneden, White Hall & Admin Building 11:30 AM
• Tassell MTEC 2:00 PM

Thank you in advance for your participation. Please contact the Communications Department with your questions.

Security Reminder

There have been a couple of incidents on campus recently and the GRCC Police Department needs your help. We have had personal property stolen from vehicles in our employee parking lots, as well as college and personal property stolen from office space. It is not uncommon for us to walk past cars in our lots and see purses, briefcases, laptops, and electronics sitting in the open on seats. We do our best to patrol these areas but it takes just seconds for a criminal to break a window and be gone with your valuables. Even less for someone to walk in and out of your office. This is where you come in, here are a few tips that will help reduce the number of larcenies we have on campus:

Be aware of “strangers” in your office areas. If you see someone you don’t recognize, greet them and offer assistance (in finding what/who they’re looking for). If you are uncomfortable addressing someone, call Campus Police (x4010) and ask for their assistance. Providing a good description is extremely helpful.

• Secure personal items (e.g. purses, etc.) in your desk/filing cabinet. For example, don’t leave your purse sitting on/under your desk… instead, lock it up.
• If you leave your office or classroom, be sure to close and lock your door.
• Do not leave valuables visible in your vehicle. Put them in the trunk, storage compartments, or other areas less open to others walking by.
• Be observant of your surroundings, and notify Campus Police if you see something suspicious.

Thank you to those who have called, you have made a difference.

Inclement Weather Policy Update – New Service Added

Winter is Predicted to Return to West Michigan.

Please take a moment today to familiarize yourself with GRCC’s inclement weather procedures and the related messaging, which can be found at grcc.edu/weather.

Also, please remember that the inclement weather policy now allows for a morning weather delay. In the event of a weather delay, employees report at 10:00 AM, and classes that begin at 11:30 AM or later will be held as scheduled.

In the event of inclement weather, GRCC will communicate via email, text message, website announcement, social media sites and local media outlets.

NEW! In addition to the above mentioned methods of communication, employees will also receive a robo-call to the telephone number on record with Human Resources. This call is an automatic phone message generated from our emergency communication system. The phone number that will be displayed is 616.234.4722.

To sign up for text messaging, please log in to Blackboard and navigate to “Mobile Preferences” under the Tools menu.

Get the Status of GRCC During Severe Weather – Sign up for Text Message Alerts

Why are you waiting around in the morning watching a scrolling marquee on your TV to find out if GRCC is open or closed during inclement weather? Sign up for emergency text message alerts!

Getting notification via text messages is superior to using the local media – here’s why:

1. Text Messages are Faster: a text message is sent,and is received, minutes after college leadership decides to cancel classes. Local media can take anywhere between 15 minutes to two hours to run a cancellation notice in their scroll.
2. Text Messages are More Accurate: just like the child’s game “telephone” – the more people a message goes through, the more chances it has to be misheard or misinterpreted. Text messages come directly from college leadership.

Using Rave Wireless, you can opt to receive either a text message OR an email OR BOTH. (The college is also looking into providing robo-calls as yet another option).

www.grcc.edu/textmessage

GRCC will still notify the local media for those who don’t have Internet Access or Cell Phones – but the Emergency Planning Team wants to make sure you have access to this information as quickly as it can be provided.

Get Ready! Kent County: A guide for Citizen Emergency Preparedness

GRCC goes to great lengths to make sure employees are safe and protected while at work, but disasters happen anytime and anywhere. You know what to do when you are here at work but do you have a plan when you’re not at work? Being prepared for the potential emergencies that could happen in Western Michigan will be easier to cope with if you are prepared.

Kent County has created a website with a month by month guide to preparing for emergencies.  Click here to access this free information. Get the whole family involved in creating an emergency preparedness plan that can give you all peace of mind.

This information is brought to you by your GRCC WE Team.

Kent County Emergency System Test Today

Friday April 1st, the Kent County Emergency System will begin testing the severe weather warning sirens.  The test will begin at noon.

Want Timely Updates About the Status of GRCC During Severe Weather? – Sign up for Text Message Alerts

Why are you waiting around in the morning watching a scrolling marquee on your TV to find out if GRCC is open or closed?  Sign up for emergency text message alerts!

Getting notification via text messages is superior to using the local media – here’s why:

1. Text Messages are Faster: during the last inclement weather cancelation, users subscribed to the text messages/emails received them at 5:46 a.m. – even though that information was sent to the local media around the same time, some news outlets didn’t air it until 6:47 a.m.
2. Text Messages are More Accurate: just like the child’s game “telephone” – the more people a message goes through, the more chances it has to be misheard or misinterpreted. Text messages come directly from college leadership.

Using Rave Wireless, you can opt to receive either a text message OR an email OR BOTH.  (The college is also looking into providing robo-calls as yet another option).

www.grcc.edu/textmessage

GRCC will still notify the local media for those who don’t have Internet Access or Cell Phones – but the Emergency Planning Team wants to make sure you have access to this information as quickly as it can be provided.

Test of the Emergency Phone Alert System

Next week, January 17 – 21, we have programmed the Emergency Phone Alert System to broadcast the test message several times throughout the week. These are scheduled during peak student enrollment times and to accommodate a variety of class meeting patterns. Thank you for understanding!