Show All Answers

1. What is the Blackboard Connect service?

The Blackboard Connect service allows authorized civic leaders to create and rapidly disseminate time-sensitive messages to telephone numbers and email addresses stored in the notification database.

2. How does the service work?

Authorized officials record a voice message that is then delivered quickly to individual phones in the notification database. Residents are informed by telephone, e-mail, and/or text when there is
an emergency or other important public safety or public health announcement such as severe weather warnings, hazardous road conditions affecting local routes, public health emergencies
and any other situation that could impact the safety, property, or welfare of our citizens.

3. Does the Blackboard Connect service replace other systems that have been used to provide time-sensitive information to residents?

This system supplements existing means of communication and is not a replacement for the systems we have used in the past. The Town emergency fire horn which is activated during an emergency situation will still be available. Residents are encouraged to use other emergency warning systems such as the Massachusetts Alerts app that provides warnings such as tornado warnings that may not be provided through Blackboard Connect.

4. Is my telephone number included in the notification database?

Blackboard Connect uses the white pages to create a database of those who will receive
notifications.
You can sign up to add email, work phone
number and cell phone numbers and
choose whether you would like text or voice messaging.

5. What precautions are being taken to protect personal information?

Blackboard Connect® is a service of Blackboard Connect Inc. (BCI). BCI takes security and privacy concerns very seriously and does not sell, trade, lease or loan any data about our clients to any third party. We utilize multiple physical and virtual layers of firewalls to maintain data security.

6. Will there be a way to positively identify incoming calls which are made by Town officials using the system?

The caller
-
ID number for calls generated by the Blackboard Connect service will be: 978-369-6136. In addition, every message will begin with the same standard announcement: “Hello, this is
______ calling with an important message from the Town of Carlisle.” The message content will
follow this standard introduction.

7. Will the Blackboard Connect service work if I have a call screening system on my phone?

There are several varieties of call screening devices which use differing protocols for screening.
In general, the system has been found to work with these devices, but some may require some
type of pre-programming to allow our town’s telephone number to pass through. We may conduct
periodic tests to assur
e that messages are being delivered to numbers in the notification database.

8. If I have provided more than one phone number, when will they be called?

Should a situation arise that requires us to contact you at multiple phone numbers, we can activate
the system to place a simultaneous call to all of your numbers. In most cases, we will be sending
calls only to one phone number.

9. My primary phone or my second listing is a cell phone with a non-local area code. Will the Blackboard Connect service call numbers outside the area?

Yes. The area code does not impact whether or not a call is made.

10. How does the Blackboard Connect system respond to busy signals or no-answer situations?

For busy signals, the call will be repeated several times in an attempt to reach you. The same is
true for No-answer and Call-waiting. If the phone is answered by a message recorder, the
message will be left on the answering device. If, after several attempts the call does not
successfully go through, the system will stop attempting to
call.

11. I am receiving notification calls at my fax or my secondary phone line. Can I switch to have the system call my primary phone number?

Yes. Please contact us at 978-369-0283 to change the phone number in our notification
database.

12. I was not able to listen to the entire call. Is there a way to repeat the message?

Yes, at the end of the message playback, simply press the star (*) key on your telephone to have it repeated in its entirety.

13. I answer the phone but the “Hello” message repeats. It then hangs up, calls back, and the same thing happens again. How can I hear the entire message?

Repeating or looping of messages happens when the system detects excessive noise in the
background. This can be caused by loud radio/television volumes, people talking, or busy traffic
noise. When you receive the next call, say “hello” once and turn down the volume of your
radio/television or press the mute button on your telephone to allow full message delivery.

14. How do I opt out of the notification system?

If you are receiving these messages and wish to change the number or opt out, please contact the Fire Chief at 978-369-2888 or via e-mail at chief@carlislefdma.org.