Importance of emergency alerts on Geneseo’s campus

Following the gas leak that occurred on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) have provided an uptick in questions and concerns about the Emergency Alert System that SUNY Geneseo currently has in place. Geneseo utilizes the NY-Alert Emergency Alert System which is powered by Everbridge, and was established by the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO). This system is used by Geneseo and 24 other SUNY state-operated campuses, alongside 28 community colleges in the state. 

Multiple alerts were sent out through this system on the day of the gas leak. The alerts updated students on which buildings were being evacuated along with informing the community about the clean-up timeline. Depending on which alerts each student had signed up for, if any at all, these notifications were sent through numerous emails, texts, or phone calls. 

Signing up for the SUNY Geneseo NY-Alert Emergency System is a voluntary process and is not mandatory for Geneseo students both on and off campus. Due to this, some students reported not knowing what was happening and being confused as to why paths were being blocked off and buildings evacuated. 

I spoke with sophomore elementary education major Maria Gwitt—who had not signed up for the alerts prior to the gas leak. “I didn’t really know what was going on, so I just asked my roommates about it. But without them, I probably would have known nothing. I didn’t even realize I wasn’t signed up for any emergency alerts” said Gwitt.

Gwitt was not alone in this realization, as many students realized they had not signed up for any form of alert due to this event. This cannot be accredited to a lack of trying from Geneseo, however, as every six months students who are not signed up for alerts are prompted to do so by the college; Students are also prompted to sign up for the system upon enrollment. 

When signing up for the emergency alert system, students have a variety of options regarding how information is delivered. Up to five email addresses can be entered to receive the alerts, allowing students to include any parent(s)/guardian(s) or other relevant personnel that they wish to keep in the loop. The same option is available for SMS or cell phone alerts, authorizing up to six phone numbers to be entered. Students also have the option to include up to five physical locations in which they are able to have physical mail sent.    

While registration into this system is not mandatory at Geneseo, it is highly recommended by the college and emergency personnel. The system is free to sign up for and use, and participants can unsubscribe at any time without any repercussions. To make the process even easier, you can change any of your initial information when signing up at any time on the MyGeneseo campus portal.

For any additional questions students may have that remain unanswered after viewing the SUNY Geneseo website, there are multiple personnel on campus who can be contacted. The assistant chief of police and emergency manager for UPD, Scott Ewanow, can be reached at 585-245-5651 or at ewanow@geneseo.edu to help provide some insight.