Auburn Home > Administration > Public Safety and Security > Emergency Management > AU ALERT

As part of Auburn University’s ongoing commitment to the safety of students, employees & visitors, the university has a robust emergency notification system in place.  Known as AU ALERT, the system is designed to communicate time-sensitive emergency messages in a number of ways in an effort to alert all students, employees and visitors about potentially dangerous situations.  Regardless of how you receive the message, please take all emergency messages seriously and follow the instructions given.

The AU ALERT system consists of the following components:

Text, Voice and E-mail Messages

Emergency alerts are sent to all Auburn University e-mail addresses and university-provided cell phones.  Students and employees are required to register a phone number in the system through the AU ALERT portal located on the Campus Life tab in AU Access.  You can register up to three mobile phones to receive text and voice messages, three voice-only phones and three e-mail addresses.  You will only be contacted through the system in the event of an emergency or for periodic system tests.

Once you have signed up for text, voice or e-mail messages, you will be eligible for notifications immediately.  For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites are used to help spread the word about emergency situations on campus.  While these are considered passive methods of notification and should not be solely relied upon, they can be a great way to supplement your emergency notification.  We strongly encourage parents who wish to receive emergency notification to receive messages through these social networking sites:

Twitter:  Follow AUALERT
Facebook:  Like AU ALERT

Outdoor Warning Sirens

The eight (8) campus voice and tone sirens broadcast a tone followed by a voice message indicating the type of emergency and recommended action.  The system is intended primarily to reach students, employees and visitors who are outdoors and can be used for any type of emergency by broadcasting pre-programmed messages or via live public address. 

Indoor Public Address

Some campus buildings have an indoor public address system that can be utilized for emergency notification.  The indoor public address system broadcasts a tone followed by a voice message indicating the type of emergency and recommended action.  The system can be used for any type of emergency by broadcasting pre-programmed messages or via live public address.  New buildings are being added to this system regularly. 

Building Fire Alarms

Building fire alarms are in place to notify building occupants of potential fire dangers.  If you hear the fire alarm, EVACUATE the building immediately unless the tone is followed by a voice message that tells you to do otherwise.

Desktop Alerting

The AU ALERT/Alertus Desktop Alert system provides a way to receive emergency alerts directly to university computers.  When an emergency alert is sent, the message will be displayed prominently on your computer screen.  The program is being installed on all university computers in offices, classrooms and computer labs.  Employees can install the desktop client that is available through AU Install (available for Windows and Mac). 

Cable TV Emergency Alert System

The university cable television system is equipped with an emergency alert system that automatically broadcasts emergency messages issued by the National Weather Service and federal, state, or local emergency management agencies.  This system can also be used to broadcast university-specific emergency messages in the event of a significant emergency.

Digital Displays

Last Updated: Dec. 14, 2012