All I Wanted Was a Snow Day!

When Erin and Bayley began attending Pike's Peak Community College a couple of years ago, I signed on for the email and text alerts, thinking mainly of those blessed mornings when the college would close for snow.  Well, in the 3 years' time since then I have very rarely received such a message, and when I have they usually read something like this:; "Due to snow, the Falcon campus is closed.  ALL OTHER campuses are open."  No one here has classes at the Falcon campus and we really don't appreciate hearing about their frequent cancellations.  However, I do get texts from the college, they just are not usually about snow.  A sampling of text alerts I have received:

"The Rampart Range campus is on full lockdown.  An armed gunman has been reported in the vicinity."
(Our kids aren't at this campus)

"An armed gunman has been reported at the centennial campus.  The campus is on full lockdown."
(Our kids DO attend this campus.  There is also a shooting range at this campus.  This poor guy neglected to remove his gun before entering the book store and initiated an impromptu lockdown drill)

"There has been an attempted armed robbery at the something bank next door to the downtown studio campus.  The suspect fled west, towards the campus."  (Bayley does have classes at this campus too.  I looked this one up.  The guy pointed a gun at someone, demanded money, then got scared and ran.)

"Fort Carson has alerted us that there is an unexploded explosive device near the fence between the base and the Centennial Campus.  Personnel from the base are on the scene.  There is no immediate danger to the campus.  The auto shop has been evacuated."  (Apparently there was some danger to the auto shop at least).

"There is a grass fire just east of the centennial campus.  Fire crews are on the scene.  Lots of smoke.  There is no immediate danger to the campus."  (Unless you needed to get out of the parking lot in a hurry, because all those fire crews were seriously blocking traffic.  I know, I was actually there for this one)

"The hydrochloric acid leak in Monument is not expected to affect operations at the Rampart Range campus."  (This one came in at about 6:30 am, when you would most expect the snow day kind of announcement, but alas it was only a train leaking acid and causing the evacuation of some 200+ homes  a few miles north of campus).

So, sometimes I wonder, is it really better to be this informed, or would I rather not know?  None of these incidents ended up actually affecting my family, (except for the traffic jam caused by the grass fire).  The failed bank robber was apprehended outside of campus, the fire was quickly and successfully extinguished, the poor guy with the gun in the book store got things sorted out and I guess Fort Carson must have taken care of whatever 'explosive device,' they accidentally left out by the fence,  even the acid leak was contained without major mishap.  But every time I get one of these messages on my phone I experience a moment of panic.  But I can't give up on the chance that one day the message will be that classes are cancelled for snow.  And not just at the Falcon campus.