After recent campus evacuations, such as the Aug. 23 bomb threat, administrators at UNA urge students, faculty and staff to sign up for Lion Alert to receive emergency notifications.

Lion Alert is UNA’s campus-wide alert system in which administrators can inform students, staff and faculty of campus emergencies and closures. The system uses e-mail, voicemail and text messages to alert the campus community of potential dangers on campus.

Vice President of Student Affairs David Shields attributes the quick evacuation of UNA’s campus after the bomb threat was called in to Lion Alert.

“It gave (the UNA community) quick and accurate information to evacuate the campus,” Shields said. “It helped us evacuate campus in a record amount of time. It gave them a very timely notice of what was going on.”

Shields said his office sent out e-mails to all students who have not signed into Lion Alert in hopes of getting more students to log in.

Shields said every time there is a big event on campus, there is a spike in enrollments in the Lion Alert system.

Shields said at least 50 percent of students have Lion Alert, and he hopes to see the number grow.

Shields said all students will get e-mail notifications, but if a student wants the text message and voicemail options, the student must choose those options in the Lion Alert system.

“Sign up; it’s as simple as that,” Shields said. “Classroom safety is important to the entire administration at UNA.”

Shields said his office is looking at implementing more technology on campus computers and mounting a public address system throughout campus to aid the Lion Alert system.

“That’s going to take some time and money to implement,” Shields said. “Those are all, again, ways to get information out to people. We are trying to build some redundancies, but also a good combination of good alert technology.”

UNA police Chief Bob Pastula encourages students to sign up.

“Especially with the winter coming and with school closings, (students and staff) will know first hand when school is closed,” he said.

Pastula and Shields said the only time the system is used is in case of an emergency, and students should not worry about getting annoying e-mails and text messages.

“The only time Lion Alert is used is when it’s an emergency or when we need to notify people on campus,” Pastula said.

UNA chemistry major Chelsea Moon said she has Lion Alert, and it is very useful to have on her cell phone in case of emergencies.

Moon appreciates Lion Alert, but wishes weather information would come more quickly.

“If (administrators) could make their (decisions to close school) earlier, then maybe it would be more useful,” Moon said.

Social work major Olivia Jones said she has not signed up for Lion Alert.

“Normally, I’m around my friends, and they have it,” Jones said. “(I have considered getting Lion Alert) so you know anything immediately instead of waiting on a friend.”

To access the Lion Alert system, visit www.una.edu/lionalert. For more information contact the Division of Student Affairs.

News Editor Josh Skaggs contributed to this report.