You can sign multiple phones up to receive alerts via text and voice.  Family members or other non-students may have their information added by their students using these instructions.

Instructions for Students

• On the web, navigate to myUVM and login.
• Choose the Registrar tab.
• Choose My Contact Info (CatAlert) from My Emergency Contacts in the lower left corner of the Registrar tab.
• Choose Go to Insert a New Number and/or Update as desired.

Instructions for Employees

• Log on to UVM's PeopleSoft Human Resource System from the MyUVM page.
• Select "Human Resources."  Multi-factor authentication may be required.
• Select "Personal Details."
• Select "Contact Details."
• Use the "+" button under "Phone" to add an emergency broadcast number and then select either of these options in the drop down menu:
  • Emergency-msg-text to receive text messages on your mobile device (used for urgent communications in addition to emergencies)
  • Emergency-msg-voice to receive robocalls (used primarily for serious or life-threatening emergencies
     

Click on the link below to see an example of how to enter your information

Notifications of emergency conditions, including a description of any required actions (such as evacuate to a safe location or shelter in place away from windows), will be sent without delay to campus audiences that might be impacted, once UVM Police personnel or other officials have validated the situation, unless such notifications would compromise efforts to assist victims or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate an emergency or situation.

In order to facilitate this confirmation and notification process, all emergencies should be reported to UVM Police Services by dialing 911 from a campus phone. Calls placed from cell phones or off-campus telephones related to an emergency on-campus will be routed through the E911 Public Safety Answering Point to UVM Police Services.

Confirmation that there is a significant emergency or dangerous situation, which may include visual verification by UVM Police Services of the nature and scope of an emergency, determination of the content of the notification, including any required actions (such as evacuate to a safe location or shelter in place away from windows), whom to notify, and the actual launch of the notification will normally be the responsibility of the Senior Police Services official on duty, with assistance from UVM Dispatch or the Emergency Operations Center staffed by the Emergency Operations Group (EOG). The EOG is also fully versed in operation of the CatAlert system and may take the lead on initiating campus notification as circumstances require.

The CatAlert system is capable of sending e-mail, text, and/or voice, social media, and campus electronic display notifications. Faculty, staff, and students will automatically receive an e-mail notice of a campus emergency to their uvm.edu address, a text message on their cell phone or pager if that number is on file with the University, and/or a voice message (if opted into this feature) for up to three phone numbers.  Campus electronic screens that are centrally managed will also provide emergency information when appropriate. To opt-in for expanded notification, or to opt-out of the texting or voice notifications, students may do so through myUVM, and faculty/staff through the self-service section of PeopleSoft.

Additional means of communications of emergency conditions on the campus include UVM Emergency Management and calling UVM’s Emergency Information Line (802) 656-0000 and the activation of the building fire alarm signaling the need for an evacuation of the facility. A fire alarm can be activated by anyone using the facility by pulling the nearest alarm box. During a winter weather emergency, any closing or delayed opening information will be displayed on the banner on local TV stations during morning newscasts.

Should the nature of the emergency require notification outside the campus community, the responsibility for doing so rests with the Director of University Communications or the person assigned the Public Information Officer (PIO) role within UVM’s Emergency Operations Group.  Based upon the nature of the event, the PIO may use differing means and methods.

Every semester, the Emergency Management Director (for faculty and staff) and the Vice Provost for Student Affairs (for students) will send an e-mail describing the purpose of the CatAlert System, how it works, and providing notice that a test of the system will occur twice a year.

Twice a year, the Emergency Management Director or the Vice Provost for Student Affairs will initiate (or authorize the initiation of) a test emergency response alert message (around the start of each semester). The procedures contained within this statement will be publicized to faculty, staff, and students each September when affiliates are given advance notice of the upcoming test and encouraged to opt-in for expanded notification. A record of all such tests, including a description of the test, the date, time, and whether the test was announced or unannounced is accessible from UVM's Emergency Management.

Tests will also be conducted at least annually on UVM’s ability to respond to an emergency, including activation of its Emergency Operations Group (which meets monthly) and a table-top exercise involving a campus-based scenario, unless a real world activation fulfills this requirement. Participants will include the Emergency Operations Group, their designated back-ups, select Emergency Support Function representatives, and at least one member of the Policy Group.  Additional tests will involve evacuation drills (see Campus Emergency Evacuation Procedures) overseen by the Campus Fire Marshal.

During an emergency on the campus, the University follows the Incident Command System (ICS) model which includes an on-scene Incident Commander (often from UVM Police Services), and an Emergency Operations Center (staffed by campus operational leaders) that can be activated to support Incident Command during a major emergency. A separate Policy Group of senior leaders is available as needed.

Twice a year, usually in September and January, the Emergency Management Director or the Vice Provost for Student Affairs will initiate (or authorize the initiation of) an announced test alert message for the CatAlert Emergency Notification System. The goal of these tests is to validate that the system is working as designed (including that at least 95% of all messages have been sent). The following details a record of such tests, including the date, time, a description and whether the test was announced or not.