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Employees Urged To Be 'KatSafe'

Sam Houston State University employees will soon be receiving information on how to sign up for the KatSafe emergency notification system.

Frank Parker, vice president for student services and chairman of the committee that reviewed SHSU's emergency notification procedures, said there are several key points that need to be emphasized.

First, registration can be done online by accessing https://ww2.shsu.edu/cont01wp/ through the SamWeb administrative Web site. Access is by password.
The online form is listed under Miscellaneous on the SamWeb menu.

Parker said that although the online form requires only one phone number, he encourages the listing of up to six phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, and one text message per student or employee.

"One of the great features of the system we selected is its multiple modes of reaching its participants," said Parker. "In an emergency, we wanted to have redundant methods of communication."

The signup memos also include additional information:

When you receive a call from Sam Houston State University, your caller ID will display 936.294.2500.
For e-mails, the e-mail ID will be from katsafe@shsu.edu.
Background noise may cause the system to "stop and start." It is calibrated to determine whether a person or an answering machine has answered the call and background noise may affect the delivery. If possible, move to a quiet area or press the "mute" button on your phone.
If you miss any part of the message, stay on the line and press "*" (star) to hear the message again.

The memos to employees also include a link to a page about the Connect-ED technology being used by KatSafe. The Connect-ED information notes that many campuses have used their contact information for such purposes as notifying students of payment deadlines and distributing surveys.

This will not be done at Sam Houston State, said Parker.

"We want to assure everyone that all personal information will be maintained in strict confidence," he said. "Also, our system will be used for emergencies only to assure that when users receive messages they know it is of highest importance and related to their safety."

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SHSU Media Contacts: Frank Krystyniak
June 5, 2008
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Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.

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