Time to review college's inclement weather procedures

Posted: November 09, 2015

Winter is coming, and we’d like to take this opportunity to remind our students and employees about inclement weather procedures.

Below are the information sources that we update in the event of a weather delay or closure:

  • Weather Closure Information Line (680.7060)–Outgoing message is updated by 5:30 a.m. with current information. Download a sign for your office or home.
  • Rave Emergency Alert System – Rave Alert is the college’s official emergency notification system used to communicate during emergencies. All Bates email addresses are automatically subscribed. Students and staff can add mobile phone numbers for text alerts and additional email addresses. Learn more about Rave Alert at bates.ctc.edu/EmergencyAlert.
  • Broadcast Voicemail – Employees–A broadcast voicemail with current information will be sent to all Bates telephone lines by 5:45 a.m. You may check your voicemail remotely to access.
  • Bates Website (bates.ctc.edu/Weather)— The college’s home page as well as the weather page will be updated with current information.
  • Regional School Information & Media Notification (net)–Information will be submitted by 5:45 a.m. This site is regional media’s source for broadcast information. You may log on to view a list of school closures and delays. (Go directly to Bates’ FlashAlert page.)
  • Local Broadcast Television (KIRO, KOMO, KING, KCPQ)–Watch the scrolling information at the bottom of your television screen beginning at 5:45 a.m.
  • Broadcast Email – Students and Employees–A broadcast email will be sent to college email accounts for both students and employees by 5:45 a.m.
  • Twitter and Facebook–The social media sites Twitter and Facebook will be updated as available. Follow @BatesTechnicalor ‘like’ us: facebook.com/BatesTechnicalCollege.

Saturday Closures
If the college closes on a Friday because of inclement weather, then Saturday classes will be automatically canceled.

OR

If inclement weather creates hazardous travelling conditions on a Saturday, then the college will make the decision to cancel classes by 6 a.m. on that Saturday. Staff and students should call the weather closure line at 253.680.7060, which will be updated by 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays if classes have been canceled.

Please note: Staff members update these outlets as soon as we receive the information, and usually by 5:45 a.m. and by 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays. If staff members have a long morning commute and an early start time, coordinate your departure time with your supervisor.

From Facilities: Please keep in mind that Facilities staff members have limited staffing on campus in the early mornings and may not have had the time to treat or scrape all paths to the college entrances. Please use extreme caution on walkways and parking lots and in entrance areas where areas may be wet and slippery. Avoid paths with inclines if possible, use cleared paths as they become available, and use handrails at stairs and ramps. Wear appropriate clothing including shoes with traction.

Below are priority areas for de-icing college grounds:
• Main Building entrances
• Primary paths to Main Building entrances
• Secondary Building entrances
• Primary paths to Secondary Building entrances
• Parking lots
• Primary path(s) from parking lots to campus building(s)
• Sloped walkways
• Reported areas of unsafe conditions
• Primary walkway routes between buildings
• Perimeter walkways
• Additional walkways between buildings

If you don’t hear to the contrary via media, phone call, college voicemail or Internet posting, please assume that the college is open and operating on our usual schedule. 

There are times when K‐12 schools will close, but colleges remain operational. Students with children for whom K‐12 cancellation may present a hardship are encouraged to discuss individual situations with their instructor.