The City of Zion has partnered with Blackboard Connect™ to provide a means of communication to all residents and businesses within the City of Zion. Blackboard Connect™ is a mass notification system that allows us to quickly reach anyone at any time in an emergency or other outreach situation.
Zion residents and businesses that have a published landline will automatically receive a Blackboard Connect™ phone call depending on whether the message is directed at a specific geographical area or the entire City. If you are a resident of Zion and do not have a published land line, you are encouraged to enter your information into the system to begin receiving notifications.
Once you are logged into the system, you can verify your address, include additional phone numbers (such as cell numbers) and/or email addresses to be used in the event a mass notification is needed. Emergency messaging is the default and cannot be changed however you will have the option to sign up for outreach messages if you wish. You may also choose to receive your messages by phone, e-mail and/or text. 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://zionil.bbcportal.com/ and then click Sign Me Up!
Blackboard Connect Registration
MOBILE DEVICE REGISTRATION: REGISTER THROUGH CITY OF ZION WEBSITE
- 1. Navigate to www.cityofzion.com
- Click the BLACKBOARD CONNECT button
- Scroll and find “To register for Blackboard Connect, log onto https://zionil.bbcportal.com and click Sign Me Up”
- If you receive a pop-up to redirect to the Google Play Store, click “No thanks, go to site”
- This should bring you to the Community Portal page (See Community Portal section below)
MOBILE DEVICE REGISTRATION: REGISTER DIRECTLY THROUGH BROWSER
- Enter https://zionil.bbcportal.com directly into your browser
- If you receive a pop-up to redirect to the Google Play Store, click “No thanks, go to site”
- This should bring you to the Community Portal page (See Community Portal section below)
DESKTOP/LAPTOP REGISTRATION: REGISTER THROUGH CITY OF ZION WEBSITE
- Navigate to www.cityofzion.com
- Click the BLACKBOARD CONNECT button
- Scroll and find “To register for Blackboard Connect, log onto https://zionil.bbcportal.com and click Sign Me Up”
- This should bring you to the Community Portal page (See Community Portal section below)
DESKTOP/LAPTOP REGISTRATION: REGISTER DIRECTLY THROUGH BROWSER
- Enter https://zionil.bbcportal.com directly into your browser
- This should bring you to the Community Portal page (See Community Portal section below)
COMMUNITY PORTAL REGISTRATION: Once you reach the Community Portal page, follow these instructions to sign-up:
- Click “Sign Me Up” and enter the following: First Name, Last Name, E-Mail, Password
- Click Agree and submit
- You will see a box that says “A confirmation email has been sent to e-mail provided….. to complete registration”
- When you receive the e-mail from Blackboard Connect, click and navigate to link provided
- Once you navigate to the link, you will be asked to answer three security questions. Answer and click “Save”
- You will receive a box that says “Congratulations, your account is active. You may now login”
- Click the Login button. This brings you to a 3 step registration process: Tell us about yourself; Set up your subscriptions; Set up your preferences
- Navigate through all three sections by answering the appropriate questions, verifying your address, verifying your phone number, add cell phone and/or e-mail contacts identify which type of messages you wish to receive and to which number.
- Click next to navigate through all pages
- Once you have entered and verified your information click “Save”
That’s it. Once you complete these steps you are all set and should be ready to receive any City of Zion messages that you selected to receive. Understand that some messages may be sent out to geographical areas and may not be received by all participants.
What is the Blackboard Connect™ service?
The Blackboard Connect™ service allows authorized City of Zion staff members to create and rapidly disseminate timesensitive
messages to every telephone number stored in the notification database. With the Blackboard Connect™
service, staff members can send thousands of messages in minutes.
How does the service work?
Authorized staff members record a voice message that is then delivered quickly to individual phones in the notification
database.
What types of messages will be sent using the service?
Any message regarding the safety or welfare of the City of Zion would be disseminated using the Blackboard Connect™
service. Examples may include include severe weather warnings and updates, local AMBER alerts, boil order advisories,
hazardous traffic or road conditions within the city or affecting local routes, and any other situation that could impact
the safety, property, or welfare of our residents. The system may also be used to announce City programs and special
events, announce changes to the town’s operations schedule, etc.
Does the Blackboard Connect™ service replace other systems that have been used to provide time‐sensitive
information to residents?
This system is a significant enhancement to existing means of communication and is supplemental to, not a
replacement for, the systems we have used in the past. The City of Zion website, any associated social media sites, TV,
and radio will continue to broadcast important announcements.
Is my telephone number included in the notification database?
The Blackboard Connect™ database contains information received from public databases, including regional
phonebooks. However, no resident should assume that their information is in the system. It is our intention and hope
that every residence and business in the City of Zion will be included in the notification database. For businesses, we
only store one main phone number. For residents, we may have more than one number that belongs to you in the
database. Additionally, you may request to have a secondary number be entered into our database for priority calling.
Can I use a cell phone as my notification database listing?
Yes, we can accept cell phones as secondary phone numbers in the database and encourage you to request that your
number be included.
What precautions are being taken to protect personal information?
Blackboard Connect™ is a service of The NTI Group, Inc. (NTI). NTI takes security and privacy concerns very seriously
and does not sell, trade, lease or loan any data about our clients to any third party. From a technical perspective, we
utilize multiple physical and virtual layers of firewalls to maintain data security. NTI only utilizes secure transmissions
with its customers. No confidential information is ever transmitted between NTI and its customers using e‐mail or FTP,
but rather always utilizes either a VPN tunnel or SSL. Data is hosted in state‐of‐the‐art facilities which require photo
identification, thumb‐print recognition, keyed access, and are manned 24/7 with full‐security personnel. All data is
encrypted prior to being placed on tape for offsite storage. NTI also retains an external, independent security firm to
perform annual security audits.
Will there be a way to positively identify incoming calls 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 City’s main
number: (847) 746‐4000. In addition, every message will begin with the same standard announcement: “Hello, this is
The City of Zion with an important message”. The standard announcement may include the staff member providing
the message. The message content will follow this standard introduction. We suggest you program the number in your
cell phone as a “new contact” and use “City of Zion: Blackboard” as the contact name.
Will the Blackboard Connect™ service work if I have a call screening system on my phone?
There are several varieties of call screening devices that use differing protocols for screening. In general, the system has
been found to work with these devices. However, some may require some type of pre‐programming to allow the City of
Zion’s telephone number to pass through. We may conduct periodic test to assure that messages are being delivered to
numbers in the notification database.
If I am a non‐resident home owner, what phone should be listed in the notification database?
For non‐residents or owners who reside out of the City of Zion, 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. Please click on the City of Zion Blackboard Connect Registration portal on City of Zion website or go to
https://zionil.bbcportal.com . Those without Internet access or needing assistance can call (847) 746‐4000 to provide
us with that information.
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.
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 call, 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 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 click on the City of Zion Blackboard Connect Registration portal on City of Zion website or go to
https://zionil.bbcportal.com. Those without Internet access or needing assistance can call (847) 746‐4000 to provide
us with that information.
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.