The University of Colorado Boulder will test the CU-Boulder Alerts system at noon on Wednesday, March 30. The test will include text messages, emails, social media and website announcements. This spring’s test will also be the first small-scale test of the campus’ new Alertus desktop notification tool. Annual testing of emergency notification systems is required by the Clery Act, a federal law.
“If there is a campus emergency, we want to alert our community as quickly as possible,” said said Stuart Pike, CU-Boulder emergency management director. “The Alertus application provides another tool to help us get the message to the broadest audience possible, and is directly deployed to people who are on campus at the time of an alert.”
Members of the CU community whose computers are not managed by Dedicated Desktop Support can download the application from the Office of Information Technology’s Alertus software page.
The CU-Boulder campus coordinates spring alert testing with the beginning of flood season in Colorado. It’s important that CU-Boulder students, faculty and staff know what to do in the event of flash flooding.
Monthly flood siren tests will begin on Monday, April 4, and continue on the first Monday of the month through August. During an emergency, the sirens are used to alert residents to potential danger from a flood or other immediate threat. Siren tests ensure that all systems and procedures are working properly during the season of peak flood danger. The tests also promote public awareness of the warning sirens located throughout Boulder County.
If a flash flood warning is issued, heed all instructions and stay away from Boulder Creek and other areas where flooding is occurring. Climb to higher ground immediately and avoid drains, ditches, ravines and culverts. For more flood safety tips visit the Division of Emergency Management’s flood resources webpage.
Active CU-Boulder student email addresses (@colorado.edu) are automatically registered to receive emails through the CU-Boulder Alerts system, and the university encourages students to add mobile phone numbers in order to receive text notifications as well. Faculty, staff or affiliates of the CU-Boulder community with an @colorado.edu (or cufund.org or cu.edu) email address are encouraged to register on a voluntary basis.
Additional information on the CU-Boulder Alerts system is available at http://alerts.colorado.edu. For more details on how to sign up for alert systems in the city of Boulder and other local jurisdictions, see http://www.colorado.edu/emergencymanagement/resources.
During an emergency that affects the campus, critical updates, additional details and any necessary instructions regarding the nature of the emergency will be posted alerts.colorado.edu, campus social media sites and on the campus Emergency Information Line at 303-492-4636 (303-492-INFO). The university’s primary Twitter channels during emergencies are @CUBoulder, @CUBoulderPolice and @CUBoulderAlerts.
Any user who expected to receive an alert and didn’t, or who needs help signing up for the system, should call the IT Service Center at 303-735-HELP or email help@colorado.edu.
