Emergency Notification System

Danville Area Community College has an Emergency Alert/Severe Weather Notification Plan. This plan is intended for the immediate transmission of specific information regarding an emergency to all affected areas of the College. It may include weather-related information, school closing information, or other emergencies requiring the securing or evacuation of the campus facilities. Emergency information is sent to students, faculty, and staff through activation of the Alertus Emergency System. When the Alertus Emergency System is activated, notification information is sent in the following manner: calls to campus IP phones, text messages, emails, campus housing speaker system, digital signage, and Alertus desktop on campus-owned computers.

Upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus, the college will, without delay, and taking into account the safety or the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the Emergency Alert/Severe Weather Notification Plan, unless the notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist victims or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.

In the event there is a threat to the safety of the campus community, the Chief of Campus Safety, or their designee, contacts the President, or their designee, and the initial information is reviewed for confirmation of the threat, and necessary and needed communications are determined. Upon confirmation, the appropriate methods of notification will be initiated. If the threat could extend beyond the campus, the College Relations office will inform the local radio and TV stations. This notification will provide specific instructions relative to the emergency, including instructions to seek appropriate shelter, evacuation, or other appropriate actions. In some cases, the College may enlist the assistance of the assigned Building Safety Coordinators for each building, if necessary, to expedite action.

Active Threat Siren

During an active threat (non-weather-related) emergencies, an audible tone will play over the IP Phones and the external notification systems. When the siren is heard, the campus community should consult their text messaging or email for information about the active threat.

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Security

RAVE Guardian, a campus safety app, transforms mobile phones into personal safety devices.

Guardian enhances safety on campus through a virtual safety network of friends, family, and the Office of Campus Safety. Features include:

DACC Emergency Line: 

Direct immediate connection to campus safety with GPS location and personal profile information. It’s a Bluelight Emergency Phone in the palm of your hand!

Personal Guardians:

Students can identify friends, roommates, and family as ‘guardians’.

Safety Timers: 

Guardians can check the status of a student. If the RAVE Guardian timer is not deactivated before it expires, the selected Guardian can contact Public Safety and provide the start location and end destination. Officers will check the area for the student.

Chat:

Text the Campus Safety Dispatch Center at any time.

Installing and setting up your profile in the Guardian App is easy.

• Search for the “RAVE Guardian” in the Apple App Store for iPhone or Google Play Store for Android phones. You can also scan the appropriate QR code:

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Security

• Open the app and input your phone number (You must be registered for Alertus for Guardian to confirm your access and identity)
• Confirm your account

Once your account is active, complete your profile by adding your picture, emergency contact information, health information, and your vehicle information. This info will immediately be visible to the dispatcher after you contact Campus Safety via the app features, helping ensure appropriate information is relayed to the responding officer.

Who can use RAVE Guardian?

The application is available for use by all currently registered Danville Area Community College
students and current employees. Subscribers to the application must use a Danville Area
Community College email address to log in.

Does RAVE Guardian transmit emergency text messages?

Yes.

Is RAVE Guardian constantly tracking me?

No. Your privacy is of the utmost importance. You can only be located if you have asked for
help. RAVE Guardian location information is only enabled when you choose to make an
emergency call or send a tip to the Campus Safety Office.

Can the Office of Campus Safety or the College track me at any time?

No. RAVE Guardian location information is only activated when the location setting is enabled
on your smartphone.

Is the Office of Campus Safety notified when my safety timer expires?

No. The Office of Campus Safety can’t be designated as your Guardian. Only someone from
your contacts can be defined as your Guardian.

Will RAVE Guardian let other people, like my family or friends, track me?

Yes, if you assign “Guardians” during any individual, “timed” usage, they will be able to track
your status. But remember that you are in complete control of this feature. It only works when you program it to. You must request them as Guardians. The Guardian will receive an invitation
via text with a link to download the app. They must accept you as a Guardian. Guardians not
associated with Danville Area Community College are called “Social Guardians”.

What if I forget to turn off my safety timer?

When using the safety timer, the user will receive a reminder text message 5 minutes before the
timer expires. If it expires, a message immediately goes to your chosen Guardian (s), and they
can call your cell phone.

Are the tips sent through RAVE Guardian anonymous?

No. Any tips sent through Guardian will provide the sender’s information to the Office of
Campus Safety.

How does my profile information get collected and sent to the Office of Campus Safety?

You will opt in for this service and provide as much information as you like during the
registration process. To get the most out of this service, your user profile should contain a current photo and an accurate self-description. The more information you provide in your profile, the easier it will be for officers to locate you if necessary. The only way the Office of Campus Safety will be able to see any information in your profile is if you make an emergency call or activate the Chat feature. Personal profile information will be treated as confidential information.

Tip:

The more information you provide, the more the assisting officers know if they need to
assist you in an emergency. At a minimum, you should include your address (home and school),
your physical description, and a recent photo. If you have health issues or other personal safety
concerns, you can include that information as well. YOU decide what YOU provide.

Is my RAVE Guardian profile secure?

Yes. RAVE Mobile Safety (the provider of RAVE Guardian) uses the latest in security
technologies and processes to ensure that all your information is kept secure and private. RAVE
also undergoes regular security audits to ensure the data is safe.

Does RAVE Guardian work off-campus?

Yes, the Chat feature works whether you are on- or off-campus; however, if you have an
emergency at an off-campus location, you should dial 9-1-1. If you send a tip that is not on
campus, the information will be forwarded to an off-campus law enforcement agency.

Can I still contact the Office of Campus Safety if I don’t use the app?

Absolutely. When on campus, you can contact Campus Safety at 217-443-8888 or use any blue
light phone. You can also walk into our office, which is in Lincoln Hall, Room 100.

Does RAVE Guardian work with any cell phone providers?

The basic profile features of RAVE Guardian work on any iPhone or Android smartphone
running on any U.S.-based mobile carrier network with the app installed on it. RAVE Guardian
can locate most smartphone devices on the AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon networks. Even if RAVE
Guardian cannot determine your phone’s location, all other profile information will be made
available to the Office of Campus Safety when you use RAVE Guardian.

Do I need to turn on “push notifications” for the Guardian?

We recommend that you allow notification from RAVE Guardian. This will alert you when your
timer is about to expire, when you have received a message from the Office of Campus Safety,
or when someone has requested you as a Guardian.

Are there certain factors that can affect the location accuracy (GPS)?

Yes. Factors include, but are not limited to: whether or not you are calling from inside a building
or a “dead spot;” the strength of your cell signal, such as proximity of cell towers or satellites;
whether or not your phone is GPS enabled and the type and quality of your phone; carrier and
signal. If possible, you should provide detailed location information via text or voice. This will
enable the Office of Campus Safety personnel to reach you quickly when RAVE Guardian is
activated.

If I am no longer a Danville Area Community College student or employee, will my personal information still be available, and will I be able to use the Guardian service?

Your Guardian account remains active until you delete it.