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EMU HOME | ASK EMU | DIRECTORIES | CALENDARS | MY.EMICH
Eastern Michigan University is implementing a university-wide text-messaging alert service that will notify students, faculty and staff if an emergency situation occurs on campus. The alerts will provide real-time information as a text message to your cell phone in the event of an emergency. You will also receive the same text in your e-mail in-box.
The campus alerts service will be used only in the event of a campus emergency (and for occasional testing of the system), so you don't need to worry about receiving unsolicited messages. Your name and phone number will not be shared with anyone else through this system.
To use the service, you will need to sign up individually. Otherwise, we will have no way to send you any emergency text messages (though we will still send e-mail messages). Participation is completely voluntary, and you can cancel the service at any time.
Please be sure to click the pink "Join Now" button, which looks like this:
For complete sign-up information, Read the sign-up tutorial (PDF)
Q: Why is EMU implementing a new emergency alert service? How will it benefit me?
A: The University needs a fast, mobile way to notify our campus community of more than 25,000 people in the event of an emergency on campus. And you, as a member of that community, need to know immediately if an emergency situation occurs on campus.
While EMU will continue to use all our other campus communication systems, including e-mail and various web sites, and will provide full emergency details via these systems, the text message alerts give us a unique way to rapidly notify large numbers of people.
Q: How do I sign up?
A: We encourage every member of the University community to sign up for this free service*, so we will be able to provide you with critical information to promote your personal safety and security in the event of an emergency.
Visit this web site to sign up: getrave.com/login/EasternMichigan. Provide your my.emich e-mail address and your cell phone number. A confirmation message will be sent to your my.emich e-mail address.
IMPORTANT: To activate the alerts, you must click the link inside the e-mail confirmation message you receive at your my.emich e-mail address. (This is how the system verifies that you are a member of the EMU community. ) This e-mail message will only be sent one time. Once you have activated the alert service, it will remain active until you cancel it. Only members of the EMU community are eligible for the alerts.
Q: Who provides the emergency alert service?
A: EMU is implementing the service via a one-year contract with Rave Wireless. The confirmation e-mail message you receive will list "Get Rave" in its subject line, so don't delete the message! There is no cost to you for the service. However, if your cell phone contract charges you for text messages, you will be charged for any emergency alert messages, and also for necessary system test messages. We anticipate testing the system once after it has been activated, and probably once each Fall term and once each Winter term.
Q: Do I need Rave cell phone service to receive the emergency alerts?
A: No. Any cell phone contract that allows text messaging will work with the system. We recommend you keep your current cell phone service.
Q: If I have Rave Wireless service, am I already signed up for the emergency alerts?
A: No. To protect user privacy, all users must sign up, or specifically "opt in" to the alert service. Please click here to sign up today. (Note: If you previously signed up for Alerts with Rave Wireless, you will remain signed up. If you are not sure whether you signed up for alerts, we recommend you go through the sign-up process to be sure.)
Q: Why was Rave selected to provide the emergency alert service?
A: The decision-making process was driven by the urgent need for a rapid, campus-wide emergency alerts system to safeguard the campus community. EMU had a pre-existing contract with Rave, which had previously implemented its wireless service on campus. Rave had the infrastructure in place to activate the alert system at EMU almost immediately. Any other emergency alert service would have required months to acquire and implement. EMU's leadership believes the immediate implementation of the alert system is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure that we are able to communicate in real time about emergency issues.
EMU will continue to evaluate technology partners to determine which company is the best long-term partner for the emergency alert service.
Q: What if I have additional questions?
A: If your question relates to user support or system functionality, contact the IT Help Desk at 734.487.2120 or it.helpdesk@emich.edu.
If your question relates to the strategy or rationale for the system, contact Executive Director of Public Safety: Greg O'Dell, 734.487.0892.
*Important note about text-message charges: The emergency alert service is free of charge to the EMU community. However, if your cell phone contract charges you for text messages, you will be charged for any emergency alert messages, and also for necessary system test messages. We anticipate testing the system once after it has been activated, and probably once each Fall term and once each Winter term.
