NAU offers emergency text notification

Northern Arizona University is enhancing its emergency notification system by offering an easy way to receive urgent text messages sent from NAU to students, faculty, staff and even family members.

NAU has partnered with e2Campus to create NAU Alert, a mass notification system to send text messages to cell phones in case of an emergency, including weather-related closures.

The service is free and voluntary, but you must register to receive NAU Alert. You also can add an additional phone number as well, so that a family member or friend is notified of an emergency.

"The public safety partnership here at Northern Arizona University between the students, faculty, staff and the NAU Police Department will benefit tremendously from the improved communication created by the NAU Alert program," said NAUPD Chief GT Fowler.

Only emergency or other urgent messages will be sent via NAU Alert, and the system will not be used to distribute advertising or other unsolicited content.

"NAU Alert is a great new tool we can use to get critical messages sent out to students, parents, staff and faculty," said Fred Estrella, NAU chief information technology officer. "It will be another method we use to communicate effectively during an emergency situation."

Though the system is free, subscribers may have to pay fees associated with their text messaging service.

Currently NAU uses computer pop-ups, e-mail, web pages and the NAU Now Line (928-523-0007) to inform individuals of weather alerts or other emergencies. The university also works with local media to spread messages.

Those systems will continue along with NAU Alert.

For information and technical support, faculty and staff should call the ITS Solution Center at (928) 523-1511 or e-mail Ask-ITS@nau.edu. Students should call the Academic Computing Help Desk at (928) 523-9294 or e-mail StudentComputing@nau.edu. The statewide toll-free number is (888) 520-7215.