U-M Emergency Alert FAQs

• Text message (SMS)
• Voice message
• Email
• University of Michigan's digital displays
• University of Michigan gateway and the DPSS homepage
• Michigan App
• U-M Public Safety App
• DPSS Twitter
• DPSS Facebook

DPSS prioritizes keeping our large, multi-campus university's students, faculty, and staff informed during major active emergencies. That is why we created U-M Emergency Alerts. This service sends emergency alert messages via voice, text, email, social media, websites, digital signs, and mobile apps.

U-M uses emergency alerts for campus-wide emergencies, not usually for localized incidents within a building, such as a small fire. The university reserves the system for campus-wide emergencies, which include but are not limited to:

• An active violence incident, such as an active attacker
• A tornado warning for Washtenaw County
• A severe thunderstorm with wind greater than 75 miles per hour
• A significant spill of hazardous material(s)

Unaffiliated individuals with the university may receive alerts on their mobile device by downloading the U-M Public Safety App or the Michigan App and enabling notifications.

Download the emergency alert contact card to add the SMS and phone numbers for U-M Emergency Alerts to your mobile device.

Each alert will tell you what action(s) to take. Do not call 911 for more information.

For more details about the alert, you may check the university's homepage, DPSS's homepage, or the DPSS Emergency Alert page.

Messages will be labeled “U-M EAlert.” Text messages will be sent from 226787 or 67283 or 77295 or 78015, while phone calls will be from (734) 998-9911.

To easily recognize calls and text messages as emergency alerts, we recommend adding these numbers to your phone contact list and naming the entries “U-M EAlert.”

Yes. When appropriate, additional messages with updated information, including an “all clear” update, will be sent. However, no “all clear” will be issued for an expired weather warning. For weather warning expirations, refer to the National Weather Service Watches, Warnings or Advisories for Michigan.

DPSS tests the system at least once during the fall and winter semesters. A test message will include the word "Test." If the system is used for a real emergency, then that semester's test will typically be canceled.

No, the University of Michigan does not charge a fee to subscribe to U-M Emergency Alerts. However, standard data, text message, and voice rates from your mobile service provider may apply.

Active students, faculty, and staff, including Michigan Medicine employees, automatically receive email notifications. Mobile numbers provided to the university are automatically enrolled to receive text message alerts.

Alums, parents, visitors, patients, vendors, community members, and others not affiliated with the university may also choose to receive alerts sent via the U-M Public Safety App and the Michigan App.

Friends and family members can download the U-M Public Safety App or the Michigan App to receive U-M Emergency Alert notifications on mobile devices.

Active students, faculty, and staff may add up to two mobile phone numbers to their account using the same methods as above.

If you are an active student or employee affiliated with more than one U-M campus (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, or Flint), U-M will automatically enroll you to receive Emergency Alerts. You will get alerts from each affiliated campus.

If you do not have an active affiliation with another campus, you may enroll to receive alerts from additional campuses. Select the “Opt-In Lists” tab near the top of the page to subscribe to additional campus alerts.

Registering multiple phone numbers or using multiple notification methods increases the chance of receiving emergency alerts. For example, you may still receive emergency alerts via text message if you cannot check your email.

Note: You may not receive a notification when your cellular data and/or WiFi signal are disrupted or if your device is switching from WiFi to cellular data during the time a notification is sent. Because of this, we recommend students, faculty, and staff register to receive voice and text message alerts and follow DPSS on X.

U-M Emergency Alerts are most effective when you receive notifications on multiple devices or use multiple notification methods.

Emergency alerts will be delivered to your university email address if you are an active student, faculty or staff member. The mobile number you provide to the university will automatically enroll you to receive text message (SMS) alerts.

However, receiving alerts by text message is not required. You may unsubscribe from alerts on your mobile phone at any time.

Register the phone numbers you use most frequently, such as your mobile phone, direct office phone or home phone number. In the emergency alerts management system, you may register up to three mobile and three landline numbers.

Yes, when you log into the Rave portal for the first time, you must accept the terms.

Yes, as long as cellular coverage is maintained (for mobile numbers).

*Please note: +86 phone numbers will not be automatically enrolled in the U-M Emergency Alert system. Due to regulations and restrictions put in place by the Chinese Government, +86 numbers cannot receive U-M Emergency Alerts via SMS/Text. Please see About UM Emergency Alerts Enrollment for more information.

To unsubscribe from receiving U-M Emergency Alerts, select the red X next to the number you wish to remove.

Your emergency contact information (as specified in Wolverine Access or Banner) is used by university officials and campus police to notify your designated contact(s) of medical emergencies, death, missing person(s) or other personal emergency situations.

However, the U-M Emergency Alert contact information is the list of communication devices you register to receive the university's mass notifications of urgent campus emergencies.

Students or employees with affiliations at more than one U-M campus (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint) will receive U-M Emergency Alert emails, voice messages, and text messages sent from each campus.

You may also opt to receive alerts from other campuses in the alerts management system.

Check your enrollment status if you removed your number from your alert profile. The self-service alert management system allows you to re-add it.

If you replied "STOP" and still have the phone number as part of your alert profile, you can check this by visiting our alert registration check website. You can reinstate text alerting by sending 'START' to 226787, 67283, 77295 or 78015.

All active students, staff and faculty with university email addresses will receive notification when the U-M Emergency Alert system is activated.

The university provides your contact information to the third-party vendor it uses to send urgent notifications. The vendor will not use your contact information other than sending U-M Emergency Alerts.

Someone previously affiliated with U-M might have owned the phone number and entered it into our system. It is possible that someone entered your phone number in error.

The university will send you alert notifications until you end your affiliation with U-M. Your emergency alert information will be deleted from the system 14 days after your affiliation ends.

No. The U-M Emergency Alert system will not automatically enroll +86 phone numbers. Due to regulations and restrictions the Chinese Government imposes, +86 numbers cannot receive U-M Emergency Alerts via SMS/Text.

The U-M Public Safety App and the Michigan App push and text message alerts are two separate options, and you may decide to receive both. The system can send text message alerts to any phone capable of receiving texts. These alerts are sent through the cell service provider and require cellular coverage to be delivered.

The app push notifications are sent using cellular data or a WiFi connection, and are available on most mobile devices. Alumni, parents, visitors, patients, vendors, community members, and others not affiliated with the university may receive push notifications via the U-M Public Safety App or Michigan App.

First, ensure your phone’s settings have app notifications enabled.

To manage your notification settings, please see:

• Manage iOS Device Notification Settings
• Manage Android Device Notification Settings

If you still encounter problems, contact the ITS Service Center for additional assistance.

Note: You may not receive a notification when your cellular data and/or WiFi signal are disrupted or if your device is switching from WiFi to cellular data during the time a notification is sent. Because of this, we recommend students, faculty, and staff register to receive voice and text message alerts and follow DPSS on X.

If push notifcations are enabled on the apps, it is not possible to opt-out as these notifications are critical components of the apps.