Emergency management updates weather notifications

Despite an unseasonably warm December, the Department of Public Safety recently provided guidance about the status of campus during periods of bad weather.

Generally, according to Brian McPike,  chief of police, Department of Public Safety, faculty, staff and students should presume campus is open and operating as normal.

The decision to close campus is not taken lightly, McPike said. Many factors, including the ability of buses to safely travel from Four Diamonds to main campus, are considered. But as weather conditions can vary widely within Colorado Springs and within commuting distance, he encouraged faculty, staff and students to use their own best judgment about traveling safely.

WeatherBug, an online weather station network, recently installed a live weather camera on the Alpine Parking Garage and Field. The camera allows UCCS and Colorado Springs community members to check campus weather and road conditions in real-time, and can be viewed here: Alpine Garage and Field WeatherBug camera.

In the event of a campus closure, university officials will strive to make a decision by 6 a.m. for day classes and by 3 p.m. for evening courses.

The official ways to find out about UCCS campus closures are:

1. Text message: Those who have registered for the campus emergency notification system, UCCS Alerts, will receive a text message notification of weather-related campus closures. To receive emergency-related text messages, visit alerts.uccs.edu.
2. Phone: Call the campus emergency notification line, 255-3346.
3. Email: In the event of closure, email is sent to faculty, staff and student lists.
4. Social media: The Emergency management office will immediately post information regarding closures on their UCCS Emergency Management Facebook page and on the @UCCS_Prepared Twitter account.
5. Web: Visit http://www.flashalert.net/news.html?id=502
6. Media outlets: Television. Watch Colorado Springs stations KOAA, KRDO, KKTV and KXRM or Denver stations KCNC, KWGN, KMGH, KUSA, KOA or KCEC. Radio. Listen to KYZK, KVUU, KRDO, KILO, KVOR, KRCC, KTLF, KCME, MCMN, KKLI, KCBR, PEAK, KSKX, KKCS, KBIQ, KBZC, KKFM, KKMG, KMOM, KCCY, KGFT in Colorado Springs or KCSJ, KDZA, KNKN, KRMX, KGHF in Pueblo. Newspapers. Read the websites of the Colorado Springs Gazette, www.gazette.com or Pueblo Chieftain,http://www.chieftain.com/.