The UVA Office of Emergency Management (UVA OEM) coordinates the University of Virginia’s efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of emergencies or disasters. Their work focuses on ensuring the safety and security of students, faculty, staff, and visitors through planning, training, and communication.
Our key functions include:
- Emergency Planning: Develops and maintains emergency response plans for various incidents (e.g., natural disasters, public health crises, active threats).
- Training & Exercises: Provides emergency preparedness training and conducts drills to test the University’s response capabilities.
- Emergency Notifications: Manages the UVA Alerts system, which delivers real-time emergency information through text, email, and sirens.
- Incident Management: Coordinates with local, state, and federal agencies during emergencies to manage responses effectively.
- Community Preparedness: Educates the UVA community on best practices for personal and organizational preparedness.
UVA Ready is the official mobile safety app for the University of Virginia. This easy-to-use mobile app offers emergency preparedness information, resources, and tools all in one place! Your mobile information is always confidential. Your device is never tracked unless you reach out to request emergency assistance.
With UVA Ready you can:
- locate UVA safety resources
- Send a concern or tip to UVA Police
- Send an "I'm Ok!" message and your location to friends and loved ones during an emergency
- Invite friends on a "virtual walk" and set a timer for your arrival
- Be connected by phone to resources on and off Grounds
- Call 911
- Receive emergency notifications targeted to your geographic location
You can download UVA READY for iPhone via Apple App Store.
UVA is required by federal law (the Clery Act) to issue Emergency Notifications and Safety Advisories. Emergency notifications (called “UVA Alerts”) are intended to warn people of an imminent threat on Grounds and share immediate actions to take. The University is also required to issue safety notifications known as Safety Advisories (which the Department of Education calls “Timely Warnings”) to notify the University community about crimes which have occurred and which pose a serious and ongoing threat to safety. Here is a quick explanation of the different types of emergency notifications that UVA will release to the community.
The purpose of a Safety Alert is to notify University students, faculty, and staff of a serious and ongoing criminal incident and to provide information that may enable community members to better protect themselves from similar incidents. Here is a list of Safety Advisories issued recently. In recent years, the Department of Safety and Security has made a conscious and deliberate effort to use our safety notification capability when serious incidents occur in those areas where our students reside outside of Grounds to ensure our community is aware of an event that has happened, and can make informed decisions about their safety.
In an emergency, call or text 911. Students may hesitate to call 911 if they only feel that something is wrong but they aren’t certain. Be assured the police want students to call. When the police respond, they will focus on the student’s safety and well-being. If outdoors, students can push the button on an emergency phone to reach a dispatcher for a two-way conversation. Even if a student does not speak, a police officer will be dispatched to investigate the area if the button is pushed.
Yes. UVA Emergency Management can quickly organize a multifaceted Critical Incident Management Team to manage incidents guided by the University’s Critical Incident Management Plan. UVA follows the National Incident Management System to guide our response and to ensure a coordinated effort. See https://uvaemergency.virginia.edu for more information. You can email the office at [email protected]
Through a third-party agreement with RMC, University Police oversee an Ambassador Program to enhance safety and visibility in the areas adjacent to Grounds. Ambassadors are easily recognizable with their neon shirts. Ambassadors are not law enforcement but are trained to engage with the public and recognize and make requests for medical or police assistance. From 6 pm to 2 am, Ambassadors provide safety walks. Students can request a Safe Walk by either asking an Ambassador directly, walking into the Safety Substation on the Corner, or calling 434-984-7622, ext. 406.
UPD operates the “Community-Oriented Policing Squad” (COPS) Wednesday through Saturday in UPD joint-patrol areas such as the Corner. The goal is to create a safe environment by building relationships and providing a sustained police presence in areas where students live and socialize off Grounds.
Absolutely! We know that sending your student off to college can be stressful. We have a variety of resources for parents in our parent resource section. You can always reach out to the Department of Safety and Security to ask questions you have about student safety at [email protected]
Yes, opt-in via texting “UVA” to 226787. Message and data rates may apply. Text messages are sent on an as-needed basis. This service is provided per the Terms of Use https://www.getrave.com/help/Terms.action and Privacy Policy https://www.getrave.com/help/Privacy.action Text STOP to 226787 to cancel or HELP for tech support.
In compliance with the federal Clery Act, Safety Advisories are released by the University when certain crimes are reported on or near University property to protect members of the University community, to promote safety, to help reduce the likelihood of future crimes, and to raise awareness of how to seek prompt assistance should a crime occur. In cases when a Safety Advisory is not required, the University may choose to issue a General Communication. Both types of messages are sent by email and provide information to enable community members to protect themselves from similar incidents.
Emergency Notifications (UVA Alerts) are triggered by an emergency or dangerous situation that is currently occurring or immediately threatening the health/safety of students or employees on Grounds. UVA Alerts are distributed in several ways, depending on the situation and nature of the emergency. Distribution methods include:
- Text message to faculty, staff, and students. Make sure you are signed up here.
- Text message to general public. You can sign up here.
- Email all current students, faculty, staff, and UVA Health Team Members.
- UVA Homepage
- UVA Emergency Management website
- UVA Police website
- UVA students can download the Alertus Desktop Notification Software
- Digital Display Screens around Grounds
- UVA Ready Mobile Safety App
- Siren/Public Address System
- Social Media
- Twitter: @UVA_EM & @UVAPolice on Twitter
- Instagram: @UVAPolice
- Facebook: UVA Police Department
UPD is an internationally accredited police department, providing the same level of service offered by a municipal police department, as well as other services unique to an academic institution. UPD operates 24/7 year-round. UPD comprises sworn police officers certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia and unarmed security officers. The department’s primary jurisdiction is UVA main Grounds. If an incident occurs in the city of Charlottesville or Albemarle County, the police department with appropriate jurisdiction responds. UPD maintains a cooperative relationship with Charlottesville Police and Albemarle Police but does not control how or when other jurisdictions investigate their crimes. UPD does, however, routinely monitor and seek information about cases closest to Grounds.
Students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled to receive UVA Alerts. A listserv was also created for any members of the public, including family members, who also wish to receive UVA-issued community alerts. If you would also like to receive safety advisories, anyone may opt into this uva_safety_notifications listserv by subscribing at https://lists.virginia.edu/sympa/subscribe/uva_safety_notifications.
Important: You will receive an email from Sympa. You must click on the link in that email to activate your subscription. You may unsubscribe at any time.
UVA Alerts to international mobile phone numbers are delivered on a best-effort basis. To have an international mobile phone number added, a current UVA student, faculty, or staff member must add the mobile number(s). They can do this by going to the UVA Alerts login page, https://www.getrave.com/login/uva. On the "My Account" page, there is a field for adding mobile phone numbers. An international number must be added using “+” then the country code and full phone number, using integers only. For example: +440173671000.
Remember that any added international mobile phone number may need to be confirmed with a 4-digit code. If you do not finish the confirmation process, the phone will not receive emergency texts.
We encourage family members of international students to also add family members’ email(s), so family members can receive UVA Alerts via email. They can do this by going to the UVA Alerts login page, https://www.getrave.com/login/uva On the "My Account" page, there is a field for adding email addresses. Email addresses do not require any confirmation.