UNC sends false Alert Carolina message during test –

“And when we see that message again, especially after we’ve seen it twice before, you know, after two lockdowns, of course we assume again that it’s real,” Denza said. said, referring to the fatal shooting on campus on August 28 and the non-fatal shooting incident on September 13.

Denza too said that gun violence on the UNC campus had lasting effects, saying When the alert went out, a lot of people were texting and asking if people were OK, and the follow-up was happening.

“This is something that would really traumatize anyone who has had this experience, especially given the way it went last semester,” Denza said“It brings up terrible feelings.”

In a E-mail UNC Counseling and Psychological Services told The Daily Tar Heel that they had noticed an increase in outpatient visits following the shootings, but could not provide a reason for the visits.

“From August 29 to September 1, 2023, CAPS offered walk-in services to 192 students. During the same period in 2022, CAPS offered walk-in services to 87 students,” the email said. said.

Denza described The Alert Carolina system was rated as lacking, particularly with regard to feedback that messages should be displayed in multiple languages ​​and that the system should be updated more frequently.

Denza too said that during the last lockdown, many students expressed concern about Alert Carolina’s all-clear message, which urged students to resume their normal activities.

“After something like this, there is simply no way to resume normal activities,” Denza said.

When DTH asked the university for comment on the incident on June 18 and to speak with members of the Emergency management and planning Media Relations Department wrote that the university is committed to “continuous improvement to ensure that we provide timely and accurate notifications in emergency situations.”

“We apologize for the confusion,” Media Relations wrote Regarding the emergency call of June 18: “We are investigating the incident and will take steps to prevent it from happening in the future.”

How Alert Carolina works

Activation of Alert Carolina’s emergency alerts requires action by campus security officials and system operators to ensure immediate release of emergency notifications, the media office said. E-mail. The Alert Carolina website describes that sirens sound during danger warnings and exams on campus.

In his email, Media Relations said that the process of sending a message begins once a situation is confirmed and UNC Police or other officials have gathered enough information to compose a message.

Media work wrote Alert Carolina messages, emails, and text messages to faculty and staff are created using templates, canned messages, and new messages as the situation requires. The all-clear message that is issued when an emergency ends is also done through a series of streamlined actions by campus security officials and system operators.

“Most emergency update messages are written by the press officer, who is a member of University Communications and works in collaboration with Emergency Management and Emergency Planning,” said Media Relations wrote in the email. “In the event of an emergency, these communications will be coordinated in the Emergency Operations Center, which is activated when emergencies occur on campus.”

The email also said that notices regarding a change in UNC’s normal operating status will be provided by University Communications. The Media Relations Department said that for other crime and information alerts, appropriate officials prepare draft messages for review before they are entered into the Alert Carolina system.

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