IU uses a variety of methods to provide emergency and safety information. This includes going “old school,” using sirens, public address, social media, radios and broadcast media, and people, in the form of building managers, Emergency Control Committees and residence hall personnel, to using newer technologies, such as text messages, webpages, and a consolidated communications system called IU-Notify.
Social media are computer-mediated tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos (user-generated content) in virtual communities and networks. IUEMC has Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to reach out to the IU community where they are including their personal cellphones.
Accurate and timely information during an emergency is vital. Social media such as twitter and Facebook provide a platform for nearly instantaneous communication to the community in the impacted area. We can tell people what happened and what they need to do to stay safe almost immediately.
Debbi Fletcher, Director Emergency Management Coordinator - Bloomington
Emergency alert radios broadcast emergency and weather information across the campus and have been tested to ensure operation in all buildings. Every building manager or warden and academic/staff unit should have one of these radios.
A NOAA Weather Radio can receive weather information broadcast by The National Weather Service (NWS). Information can be warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You must have one of these radios to receive the warnings. The model features below provide the maximum safety.
Weather radios are available from many manufacturers and typically run $30-$80
Learn more about weather radiosIf you have questions on buying a NOAA weather radio, please contact the IU Emergency Management Office at:
Your campus homepage will always have the most current information in an emergency. You can also check the IU Emergency Information site. For general news information, visit the IU News Room. Some campuses have a telephone hotline that you can call for emergency information, which you’ll find on a campus’s Emergency Contact Information page.
