Hood Alert

How to Sign Up for Hood Alert:

• To sign up, you will need your Hood student ID number and Hood email address (located above).
• Visit www.hood.edu/hoodalert
• Select either “Student, Faculty or Staff” or “Parent or Spouse/Partner of Hood College Student”
• Enter your Hood student email and ID number
• Select “Create a New Account”
• When filling in the contact information, only enter information for the methods in which you want to be notified. Any completed contact information will receive a notification. For example, if you only want to receive notifications via email, provide your email address and not your phone number.
• If you want to receive notifications only about emergencies on campus, do not check the box in front of the phrase “I would like to receive nonurgent notifications to my main contact number.” Most parents or family members prefer to not receive nonurgent notifications.

General Information:

• Hood Alert is the College’s emergency notification system.
• College administration and security professionals use Hood Alert to reach participating students, faculty, staff, parents and others with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies.
• The system uses voice, email and text messaging.
• During critical situations, Hood College officials can use the system to broadcast pertinent information and provide instructions as appropriate.
• The system is ordinarily utilized for emergency purposes only, but it also includes a nonurgent notification option for nonemergencies (i.e., inclement weather, construction or repair work in a building).

What is a Nonurgent Notification?

• Closure or delays for inclement weather
• Closure of specific buildings for repairs
• Campus road closures due to construction

Types of Emergency Text Messages:

• Serious campus-wide emergency
  • Text directs people to not come to campus. If already on campus, it directs people to stay where they are or move to another location.
  • Classes, activities and events are canceled until the emergency condition is over.
  • Example situations include someone with a gun on campus, armed robbery, or another crime in progress.
   
• Threat to a specific location
  • Text indicates an emergency at a specific building or location and directs people where to evacuate. It also directs people not to come to campus.
  • Example situations include a bomb threat or hazardous condition in one building on campus.
   
• General emergency
  • Notifies that an emergency condition exists and directs people to Hood’s website for more information.
  • Example situations include flooding, utility failure or an emergency near Hood.
   
• Severe weather
  • Text directs people to seek shelter indoors.
  • Used when Frederick County issues a severe weather warning for thunderstorms, severe winds, blizzards, tornados, etc.
  • Severe weather notifications are not school closing notifications.