Emergency Communications

Emergency Notification Endpoints

The University uses several "endpoints" to alert the community to an imminent threat. Members of the public can opt-in to receive UVA text alerts. See the UVA Alerts for the Public site.

  • Email: Students, faculty, and staff and UVA Health team members with a valid @virginia.edu account automatically receive an email alert.
  • Text: Students, faculty, and staff and UVA Health Team members who have registered their mobile phone number with the University during orientation or onboarding will automatically receive a text alert. (Persons may opt-out of texts at their UVA Alerts Account at uvaemergency.virginia.edu/uva-alerts or by texting "STOP" to any UVA Alerts text.)
  • Twitter: UVA Alerts are re tweeted to these Twitter handles: @UVA_EM and @UVAPolice. Follow us to receive alerts and regular safety information.​​​​​​​
  • Monitors/TVs (LCD screens): Displays in most common areas across Grounds.
  • Emergency Notification Displays (LED clocks): Displays in large classrooms.
  • The UVA Emergency Management homepage: Displays the alert (virginia.edu/emergency).
  • The University homepage: Displays the alert (virginia.edu).
  • The University Police homepage: Displays the alert (uvapolice.virginia.edu).
  • Guardian Safety App: will push a notification to subscribers who keep notifications turned on.
  • Siren/PA System: Is activated for certain imminent threats to the University community. If you are outside and hear the siren and audible announcement, follow the announced instructions. If the audible announcement cannot be understood, immediately check your cell phone or email for a UVA Alert.
  • Overhead Announcements: The UVA Contact Center may provide overhead announcements in some buildings within the UVA Medical Center. These announcements are identical to the alerts communicated via email, SMS text, LED screens, web pages, social media, and over sirens when they are activated.

(Fire alarms are used to alert persons of imminent threat and the need to immediately evacuate a building, but they are not integrated with the UVA Alert system.)