Portage County has instituted the Portage County Community Alert – a communications service for emergency notifications. This system allows Portage County to notify all or targeted areas of the County in case of an emergency situation that requires action. It delivers a recorded message via voice, text and email.
Register for Portage County Community Alerts TODAY!
Click on the link below to sign-up for the Portage County Community Alert service.
All UWSP faculty, staff, students may sign up for the Portage County Community Alert system if you have a Portage County address. For UW-Stevens Point employees, students or others residing outside the county you may enter your UW-Stevens Point office address to receive Portage County alerts or use the campus main address of 2100 Main Street Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897.
Examples of times when the Portage County Community Alert system could be utilized:
- snow emergencies
- severe weather
- drinking water contamination
- utility outage
- evacuation notice and route
- missing persons
- road closings
- traffic alerts
- fires
- floods
- chemical spill
- gas leak
- other emergency incidents where additional notification to citizens will be helpful
The Portage County Community Alert system is another tool for emergency notification and direction. There is no guarantee that all emergencies will allow time for messages to be sent or that they will be received in a timely fashion due to various factors. It is critical for all individuals to follow directions of police and other emergency responders at the scene of any emergency and plan ahead. For further UWSP emergency response direction see UWSP Emergency Response.
Contact UW-Stevens Point Emergency Management Specialist, at 715-346-4464 with any questions.
Emergency Preparedness
Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How.
“Members of this campus community can expect a safe and inviting campus environment.”
– University Handbook, Chapter 9, Campus Environment
Each of us plays a part; do you know your role and responsibilities?
Everyone (Faculty, Staff, Students)
POINTERS PREPARE Stay Informed. Become familiar with the campus Emergency Procedures.
Know how to access emergency information.
Listen. Follow Instructions. We have numerous emergency notification methods on campus, Pointer Alerts being one of them. Register your email and cell phone so you are ready to follow instructions provided via email and text through Pointer Alerts.
Participate in Drills/Training. We conduct emergency trainings and drills for your safety. Take the annual fire drill and tornado drill seriously. This is your opportunity to walk through what to do if a real event occurs. All new employees are required to complete the New Employee Safety Orientation training in Canvas.
POINTERS STICK TOGETHER – Report suspicious activity – IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. When you work or go to school in the same place day after day, you know if something is out of place or just not right. Do not keep the information to yourself! Report any suspicious activity to University Police (715-346-3456). Report student concerns or misconduct to the Dean of Students HERE.
Event Hosts
University personnel that host, sponsor, or are responsible for events that bring non-university attendees to the campus are responsible for:
- Assessing the emergency planning and response needs of the hosted group and ensuring that necessary steps are taken to prepare for effective emergency response.
- Being familiar with and following the Emergency Procedures. In addition, event hosts are expected to ensure that event staff (e.g., camp counselors, chaperones, athletics, etc.) are provided with and understand campus emergency response procedures.
- Communicating necessary information to their attendees to ensure effective emergency response.
Division Heads, Deans, Department Chairs, Directors, and Supervisors
Every division head, dean, department chair, director, and supervisor has the following general responsibilities prior to and during an emergency:
- New employees shall be trained by their Supervisor at their orientation in basic emergency responses expected of them, as outlined in the University Handbook, applicable departmental procedures, and campus Emergency Procedures.
- Ensure employees participate in ongoing trainings and campus drills. All new employees are required to complete the Canvas online New Employee Safety Orientation training.
- Allocate resources necessary to implement divisional or unit emergency management activities and procedures.
- Take steps to assure operational integrity of the unit, such as assessing vulnerability, backing up and archiving of critical data, and developing recovery plans.
- Develop internal written emergency plans (not addressed in the campus Emergency Operations Plan) and train their staff appropriately.
- Keep employees informed.
Faculty/Instructors
Each instructor/faculty member has the responsibility to:
- Educate their students and employees concerning applicable emergency procedures.
- In the event of an emergency, inform students and employees and initiate applicable emergency procedures.
- Report student concerns or misconduct to the Dean of Students.
Resource
Residental Students
All students living in a residential hall have the responsibility to:
- Know your Resident Assistant (RA) and be prepared to follow their instruction in an emergency.
- Be familiar and follow emergency procedures in Residential Living Handbook.
- Identify and report hazards and suspicious occurrences.
POINTERS STICK TOGETHER – REPORT A CONCERN to the Dean of Students HERE or DOS@UWSP.EDU