Town of Stanley uses Blackboard Connect (a mass communication and emergency weather notification system) to send its citizens emergency weather notifications and important messages regarding time-sensitive or common-interest issues such as water or electrical outages, emergency requests from Police and Fire Departments and special events. The Blackboard Connect service keeps residents better informed by supplementing existing communication channels such as information bulletins and newsletters. If you are a resident of Stanley, you are encouraged to enter your information into the system to begin receiving notifications. When you register, you can choose to have messages sent to you by phone, text message, and/or email. Your contact info is secure and will NOT be shared with anyone else. This service is only used to contact you for emergencies or topics you’ve chosen.
To register for Blackboard Connect™, log on to https://townofstanley.bbcportal.com and then click Sign Me Up!
Those without Internet access or needing assistance can call (704) 263-4779 to provide us with that information.
If you are a non‐resident home owner, what phone should be listed in the notification database?
For non‐residents or owners who reside out of the Town of Stanley, you may provide an additional phone number to be included in our database to contact during certain situations. In general, calls are sent to the primary number only, but we also have the ability to call multiple numbers for each resident or business when requested by the resident or business.
Will there be a way to positively identify incoming calls that are made by the Town using the system?
The caller-ID number for calls generated by the Blackboard Connect service will be the same as the Town’s main number: 704-263-4779. With the exception of emergency weather calls, every message will generally begin with the same standard announcement: “Hello, this is 'blank' calling with an important message from the Town of Stanley.” The message content will follow this standard introduction. We suggest you program the number in your cell phone as a “new contact” and use “Town of Stanley: Blackboard” as the contact name.
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 a message recorder answers the phone, 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.
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.
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, which is caused by loud radio and television volumes, people talking nearby, 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.
What circumstances might prevent a message from being delivered to me?
· If your contact information has changed and you have not registered your new information.
· If you have only cordless phones in your residence, the power is out and you did not register an alternate
phone number.
· If your line is busy for an extended time and your calls do not forward to voicemail or an answering machine.
· If you have a privacy manager on your main phone and you did not register an alternate phone number.