Tufts University utilizes an emergency communications tool, now known as TuftsAlert, capable of quickly sending text, voice, and email to a large audience to distribute emergency information. Tufts Department of Public Safety has the authority, capability, and responsibility to access this system to send a message in certain rare emergency situations when information may help mitigate a threat to health and safety.
In the event of a significant emergency or a dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of the Tufts community, Tufts University will, led by the Director of Emergency Management or other authorized official as described in this document, without delay, and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the TuftsAlert notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency. Prior to initiating the notification system, the authorized official, will confirm the emergency, determine the content of the notification, and select the appropriate method(s) of delivery, which may include email, text and voice messaging. In the case of an immediate threat, the authorized official will send or direct a member of the Department of Public Safety to activate TuftsAlert. Messages will be sent to all community members and will contain only a very brief description of the type of emergency along with instructions on how to protect themselves. After the initial alert message, additional information may be distributed by another alert message, by email, or by web at www.tufts.edu and announcements.tufts.edu. All TuftsAlert messages will be sent to all campuses regardless of location of the emergency. The larger community – beyond students, faculty, and staff – may access information at announcements.tufts.edu.
Messages from TuftsAlert are sent to university email accounts and will be sent by text message to wireless phones unless users opt-out, and by telephone to any enrolled phone number. Members of the community are reminded to review their contact information at the beginning of each semester to ensure accuracy or may update their contact information at any time by visiting emergency.tufts.edu/alertupdate. A full-scale test of TuftsAlert is performed at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters on a date that is announced by email and in various campus publications.
The above are excerpts from the Tufts University Department of Public Safety, Warning Point Procedures -TuftsAlert . The full policy resides with the Office of Emergency Management.