Emergency Notification System Test - Fennell and Stoney Creek Campuses

Mohawk College will be conducting a test of the Emergency Notification System at the Fennell and Stoney Creek campuses.

This test will occur on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

This is done as part of Mohawk College’s commitment to safety, security and emergency management. Please watch this short video as to what this test involves.

Students and employees at the IAHS Campus should follow the emergency procedures outlined by McMaster University.

The 5-minute test will put Mohawk’s Emergency Notification System to the test. As our buildings are large and complex, we utilize a number of methods to send an emergency notification. We do not expect you to personally receive all of these messages, but in an emergency situation we expect you to be notified by at least one of these methods. During the system test, the following systems will be activated:

Mohawk’s SAM - Security Alert Messenger service will send text messages.
- If you have not yet registered your smartphone for instant text messages, please log on to SAM through the MyMohawk homepage.
- You will need to send an OPT-IN text confirmation after registering (instructions will be emailed to you). If you registered but did not sent an OPT-IN text, please register again as you will receive a Notification Message as part of this test.
PA System: A distinctive audible horn with recorded message will sound over the PA system. In an emergency, this message is on a continuous loop.
Alertus Desktop notices will be displayed on all college-connected desktop computers.
Lockdown Test Message will be displayed on the Mohawk College Website – home page.
Beacon display units in the Radio Station, Theatre and other unique areas of the campus will be activated.
- - Stoney Creek Machine Shops now have Alert Beacons installed which will flash, play a loud audible, and display a scrolling message
Hallway Display Screens will display emergency messages – we will be testing a new system at Fennell campus during this exercise.

As part of our Notification System test, we will be including an education component through the college public address system. The education component will provide information on how to respond to Lockdown Emergencies and Hold and Secure messages.

Lockdown Emergencies

In a Lockdown Emergency, there is an active threat within the college. Act as calmly as possible and consider the following options to make a decision and act specific to your situation:

Get out. Evacuate if you can. When there is an escape route and where you believe the threat is not in your immediate area, attempt to evacuate the building and run away from campus.
Hide. If you cannot evacuate, hide and barricade yourself in a place where the threat is less likely to gain access.
Fight. If you cannot get out or hide, be prepared to fight for your life. Be prepared to use nearby objects as weapons and commit to taking aggressive action if you come into contact with the threat and are in immediate danger or death or serious injury. FIGHTING IS A LAST RESORT.

Hold and Secure Emergencies

In a Hold and Secure Emergency, there is an active threat emergency in the neighbouring community, and we are instructed to go into a Hold and Secure mode by Hamilton Police. You will be notified of this emergency through the Emergency Notification System. Security will continue to coordinate with police and the following will remain in effect until Police have given us the “all clear”:

All exterior doors to the college are locked and everyone is to remain inside
Normal college operations, including teaching, will continue

For more information on how to respond to these emergencies, visit the Security website.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the Emergency Notification System test, please contact:

Catherine O’Donnell, Director, Security Services catherine.odonnell@mohawkcollege.ca

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Mohawk College Security Service