The University of Massachusetts considers the safety of its students, employees and visitors to be paramount. To keep you informed about emergency situations or conditions that could disrupt campus activities, the university has developed a comprehensive emergency communication system. 

Our goal is to efficiently communicate emergency information in different ways to as many people as possible.  We hope that you will sign up to receive our text alerts to help us ensure that you receive notification quickly.

The UMass Amherst Emergency Alerts system includes the following methods of communication:

• Emergency Text Messaging: Emergency text messages provide time-sensitive notifications to subscribers’ cell phones. 
  
  Click the button to receive immediate information and updates about ongoing emergency situations and campus closings.  You will need a SPIRE or OIT account to register.


• Emergency Emails: The University has the ability to send mass distribution e-mails to students, faculty and staff members with a umass.edu email address as well as to a non-UMass e-mail address. Every active faculty, staff and student e-mail address is by default is included in this system. To add a non-UMass e-mail account login in to SPIRE and update your UMass Alerts account.


• Outdoor Sirens:  UMass Amherst has eight outdoor warning sirens located throughout campus that are used to alert the surrounding area of an existing or imminent threat to the campus community.  The warning system will first sound an alert tone, followed by a brief prerecorded hazard announcement and/or a live public address.  The “all clear” tone will sound when the situation has been resolved.  The system is designed to be heard outdoors only – not within campus buildings, though it can be heard in the surrounding Amherst area.


• UMass.edu Homepage:  The UMass.edu homepage which includes the "stripe" with a distinct color, may provide pertinent status updates and information related to ongoing emergencies.


• Emergency Closing Status: To check for weather-related UMass closings and delays, call 413-545-3630, or visit the UMass Emergency Closing Status page.


• Social Media: Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for live, up-to-the-minute updates on ongoing situations.