The office of the Department of Public Safety
Quinn Administration Building
Plaza Level
Phone Numbers:
Campus phone call 911
c: 617-287-1212
Emergency Notification System : Frequently Asked Questions
February 2008
Q) What is the Emergency Notification System?
A) The Emergency Notification System is a communications service that UMass Boston provides for all students, faculty and staff. All students, faculty and staff can voluntarily register to receive alerts about threats of imminent danger at or near any UMB location via email, text messaging, and voicemail. This service is used in conjunction with other communication channels including public address announcements and campus-wide e-mail.
The university provides this valuable service through an independent vendor Dialogic Communications Corporation http://www.dccusa.com/
Q) How do I sign up?
A) As a student, faculty or staff member you automatically have the ability to logon to a secure web-based portal:
https://umb.ecoporte.com/emergency/jsp/home/home.jsp
Using your current email logon credentials to enter the portal-
Example:
first.lastname (username) do not use your full @umb.edu address
your current email password (password)
Q) How will I be notified in the event of an emergency?
A) The Emergency Notification System will send email and text messages from the following address: MassHigherED@dccnotify.com. Voicemail messages will note the UMass Boston Emergency Notification System as the caller.
Q) What if I don’t have a cell phone?
A) This Emergency Notification System is primarily a text messaging system through cell phone services. But there are other ways the system can notify you such as e-mail, home phone or other text devices.
Q) Can my parents or other family members also sign up so they’ll know what’s going on?
A) At this time, registration for the emergency notification service is only being offered to currently enrolled students, faculty and staff of the University of UMass Boston.
Q) Is there a cost if I sign up?
A) The university is not charging students, faculty or staff for this service; however, depending on your agreement with your mobile phone provider, you may incur charges if you opt to receive text messages. Please check with your provider to understand your charges.
Q) What kind of situations will this notification process be used for?
A) The university only will send you messages when circumstances arise posing a threat of imminent danger. Emergencies such as, but not limited to, fire, hazardous materials spill, or an act of violence. The system may be tested several times throughout the year to ensure effectiveness.
Q) Will this be used for weather-related closures?
A) This will only be used for weather-related emergencies if there is an imminent danger such as a flash flood or fire associated with storm conditions, or a major blizzard with immediate impacts on the university’s normal business operations.
Q) How long will it take to get a message when something is happening?
A) It depends on the situation, but this system is designed to deliver essential information quickly.
Q) What do I do if I change my cell phone carrier or email address?
A) If one of your phone numbers or email addresses changes, you will need to log on to the ENS system at https://umb.ecoporte.com/emergency/jsp/home/home.jsp and update this information.
Q) What information do I have to provide when I sign up?
A) The system will require you to select your various preferences for notification, whether text message, voice message, e-mail, etc. However, in certain instances, messages may only be sent out via one or multiple modalities (i.e. text message, email)
Q) Will my personal contact information be kept private by the university and Dialogic Communications Corporation?
A) Your information will be kept confidential and only used for the emergency notification process.
Q) Who do I contact if I’m signed up but didn’t get a message during a threatening situation?
A) Go to the ENS web site and double check that your information is correct.
https://umb.ecoporte.com/emergency/jsp/home/home.jsp
Then contact ENS@umb.edu.
Q) While attempting the registration process, the system would not allow me to register, and I received an error message indicating that my authorization number was “not valid”. What should I do?
A) You may have typed the authorization credential incorrectly. Your authorization credential must be typed in exactly how it appears in your UMB e-mail address (i.e. first.lastname), which is CASE SENSITIVE.
If you still have questions, please contact the UMB Helpdesk at 617-287-5220 or ENS@umb.edu