Hawk Alert
Hawk Alerts are Hillsborough College’s official emergency notifications, providing students, faculty and staff with timely information about emergencies, dangerous situations and major campus disruptions. Alerts include recommended protective actions to help recipients stay safe.
Notification methods may include text and voice message, email, the College website, official social media platforms, and digital signage located throughout campus facilities.
Registration
All students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled to receive college alerts. No sign-up is required.
Those who feel they are not receiving Hawk Alert messages may need to update their Workday profile using the following steps:
- Click your profile icon in Workday, then select 'View Profile'.
- Click 'Contact' in the left menu, then the 'Edit' button on the Contact tab.
- Update relevant information (cellular number/address) and submit changes.
When Hawk Alerts Are Issued
Hawk Alerts are issued whenever there is an immediate need for the college community to take protective action due to a significant emergency or dangerous situation that poses a threat to the health or safety of students, faculty or staff. A Hawk Alert may also be issued during significant changes to college operations that affect students, faculty and staff.
Incidents may include, but are not limited to:
- Active Assailant or Active Shooter
- Building Evacuations
- Campus Closures
- Fire or Explosions
- Hazardous Materials Releases
- Police Activity Affecting Campus Safety
- Severe Weather
Throughout the year, students and employees may receive a TEST of the Hawk Alert system.
When Hawk Alerts Are Not Issued
Examples of incidents that generally do not require a Hawk Alert include, but are not limited to:
- Isolated medical emergencies.
- Minor criminal incidents.
- Routine law enforcement activity.
- Routine maintenance or utility outages.
- Off-campus incidents with no impact on the college.
- Weather conditions that do not require protective action.
A Hawk Alert may also be delayed or withheld if issuing the notification would compromise law enforcement operations, the emergency cannot be reasonably verified, or the incident has been resolved, and no immediate threat remains.
Issuing the Hawk Alert
Once the Department of Public Safety confirms a significant emergency or dangerous situation, the Director of Public Safety, in coordination with the Executive Director of Marketing & Public Relations, will develop an emergency notification message. The message will include available information regarding the nature of the emergency, the affected area(s), recommended protective actions, and any other pertinent instructions.
Prior to dissemination, the emergency notification will be reviewed by available members of the College’s Executive Leadership. If circumstances require immediate action to protect life or safety, the Director of Public Safety, or designee, is authorized to issue the emergency notification without prior executive review.
An all-clear notification will be issued when the emergency has been resolved, and conditions have been determined to be safe by law enforcement.
For questions regarding the Hawk Alert Mass Notification System or if you are experiencing issues receiving messages, please contact the Department of Public Safety at 813.253.7911 or hccdps@hccfl.edu.