We are committed to sharing information about what is happening, who is impacted, and recommended safety actions. This information is critical in helping you making informed decisions on how to maintain your safety.
We send emergency alerts for a variety of situations, including:
- Tornado warnings
- Campus closure, such as in the case of extreme winter weather
- Campus-wide utility outages, such as power and water loss
- Active threats
We test the UMass Amherst Emergency Alerts once per semester (Fall & Spring) to ensure they are working properly and our community is familiar with them. We send an advanced notice the week before the test is scheduled - this will include access to all of the UMass preparedness resources.
Alert Methods
We are committed to communicating emergency information quickly and through a variety of tools to reach as many people as possible. You should become familiar with these tools and ensure your contact information is kept current.
The UMass Amherst Emergency Alert system including the following modalities:
- Text messages: learn how to sign up for these below
- Email to all umass.edu accounts
- Outdoor sirens: system designed to be heard outdoors only, not within building
- UMass Amherst & Campus Operational Status website
- Social media: follow us on X (Twitter) and Facebook
Sign Up for Text Alerts
We encourage everyone to sign up to receive the emergency text messages.
UMass Amherst does not charge for this service. Your mobile phone company may charge for text messages. Message and data rates may apply.
Login to SPIRE and save your cell phone number to receive emergency text alerts. Unsubscribe anytime by removing your number from SPIRE.
Scan the QR code or text UMassAlert to 78015 to receive text alerts indefinitely. You can unsubscribe anytime by texting STOP.
For short-term visitors, scan the QR code or text UMassAlertGuest to 78015. You will be automatically removed after 3 days.