Volunteers are being sought for Illinois State University’s Emergency Call Center (ECC), an important component of the University’s emergency management plans. Although only activated for significant emergencies with campus-wide impact, the ECC plays an integral role in communicating information and answering caller questions during an emergency situation.
“During an emergency, many who call are concerned about the safety of their sons and daughters who are students,” said Eric Hodges, Illinois State’s emergency manager. “The primary role of the ECC team is to respond to those calls in an informed and compassionate way with approved information provided by the University Emergency Operations Center. A call center also helps to redirect calls that otherwise typically go to the University Police Department.”
Prime ECC team candidates include people who are patient, compassionate, have good phone skills and can work under some level of stress. Team members may be called to report during work hours or off hours, and response is on a voluntary basis.
Interested candidates will need authorization from their supervisors, as normal work duties would be secondary to participating on the Emergency Call Center during a major emergency. Questions from candidates and supervisors regarding the ECC operations can be directed to Eric Hodges, university emergency manager, at ebhodge@ilstu.edu.
