VT Alerts FAQs and Help

Virginia Tech strives to enhance safety and security for all those who learn and work at the university. Providing the university community with timely access to critical safety and crime information is just one example of how Virginia Tech achieves this mission. It is also required under the Clery Act.

VT Alerts is used to communicate critical information with the Virginia Tech community in the event of an emergency on or near Virginia Tech campus locations. VT Alerts are issued when there is a need for community members to take immediate protective action from an immediate threat to the safety or health of the university community; during university closures; or during system-wide tests in the fall and spring semesters.

When a VT Alert is sent out, information is distributed to the community over several channels and platforms, including text messages, phone calls, emails, vt.edu, the Virginia Tech status page, and social media updates (Blacksburg campus only). In addition, on the Blacksburg campus, fire alarm annunciators, electronic message boards, emails to vt.edu addresses, Desktop Alerts, and outdoor sirens are used. Family members of Virginia Tech students and employees who subscribe to VT Alerts will receive text messages.

VT Alerts are issued:

• When there is a need for community members to take immediate protective action in the event of an immediate significant danger to the safety or health of the university community. (e.g. severe weather, explosion, hazardous materials spill or leak, building structural damage, or active police response);
• During university closures and periods of significant operational impacts; and/or
• During system-wide tests in the fall and spring semesters.

The Virginia Tech Police Department, University Relations, Virginia Tech Emergency Management, and other university administrators are authorized to initiate VT Alerts.

Students and employees: Those with a Virginia Tech PID will automatically receive VT Alerts via their vt.edu email. To receive via cell phone (text or voice message), landline, or a non-Virginia Tech email address, students and employees can subscribe here. Subscribers are able to choose up to three preferred contact methods when subscribing.

Parents, family members, friends, vendors, and community members: Those without a Virginia Tech PID can enroll to receive VT Alerts via cellphone.

Yes, VT Alerts uses multiple channels to deliver urgent information. You should expect to receive duplicate messages. For example, if you are in a classroom in Blacksburg, you can expect to see a notification on the electronic message board, as well as those methods selected in your VT Alerts account. This redundancy is intentional to ensure important information reaches as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Yes, the university will test all emergency notification channels of VT Alerts at least once each fall and spring semester. The university community will be informed via VTx when each test is scheduled.

When testing VT Alerts, Virginia Tech administrators will always include in the subject line or in the message a clear statement that the message is a test. Urgent messages will carry subject lines such as "Emergency Alert," "Weather Alert," or "Campus Advisory."

The message sender will appear as follows:

• For a text message: These messages will be sent from any of the following numbers: 67283, 77295, 78015, or 226787. These numbers represent the short codes used by a third-party SMS system for efficient mass notifications. The message will arrive from one of these four possible numbers.
• For a phone call: 540-232-1000.
• For an email: alerts@vt.edu.

VT Alerts uses multiple channels across multiple platforms to provide intentional redundancy in messaging. VT Alerts is issued when a dangerous or threatening situation is confirmed and there is a need to take immediate action.

The time it takes for a person to receive a VT Alerts message is determined by several factors, including the time to report and confirm an incident, the means by which you receive it (i.e., channel), your personal device settings and network connection, your location, and the total volume of messages per channel. This is why multiple channels are used.

The majority of text messages, message boards, and fire alarm annunciators are delivered within a minute or two, and official social media accounts will post the message in seconds. Phone calls and emails can take longer. Use of multiple channels helps people receive critical information more quickly.

• Timely Warnings:
  • Crime Alert emails are deployed for any Clery Act designated crimes that could present an ongoing threat to the safety and wellbeing of the campus community.
  • Situational Awareness emails are issued to inform the community of general crime and safety information not related to Clery Act, but could present an ongoing threat to the safety and wellbeing of the campus community.
  •  University members are automatically enrolled to receive Timely Warning emails.
• Emergency Notifications (VT Alerts) are deployed in the event of an immediate significant danger to the health or safety of the university and the community needs to take immediate action, campus officials may issue an Emergency Notification.

• Follow all instructions provided by the VT Alert.
• Until an All Clear is issued, continue to follow the instructions provided in the most recent VT Alert unless otherwise directly notified by emergency personnel.

Those with a Virginia Tech PID will automatically receive VT Alerts via their vt.edu email. To receive via cell phone (text or voice message), landline, or a non-Virginia Tech email address, students and employees can subscribe here. Subscribers are encouraged to enroll to receive VT Alerts via multiple channels.

Yes.  subscribe to VT Alerts:

• Text HokieFam to 226787*.
• *For international SMS, text HokieFam to 1-424-322-6787.
• You will receive a text message confirming your subscription.
• The alerts will be active until the following May 31. 

Yes. All visitors to the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus are able to subscribe to receive real-time VT Alerts to stay informed about Blacksburg campus emergencies. To subscribe:

• Text HokieVisit to 67283.
• You will receive a text message confirming your subscription.
• The alerts will be active for 7 days. All users who subscribe will receive a message with instructions to opt-in again if desired at the end of the 7-day period.

Those with a Virginia Tech PID will automatically receive VT Alerts via their vt.edu email. Once signed up for additional contact methods, all members of the university community are subscribed to VT Alerts until they take action to unsubscribe. Students and employees are asked to log into their accounts at least annually to ensure their contact information and notification preferences, including region, are up-to-date. 

In addition to choosing additional VT Alerts contact methods, you can also select up to three regions. After you login, the region(s) area will show the location(s) where you are currently subscribed to receive alerts. To change or add a location, click the (Change) link and select a different region. 

The contact data you enter will be provided to a third-party vendor for purposes of notifying you in the event of an emergency. No identifying information (such as your name, etc.) will be provided to the third-party vendor.
The third-party vendor has agreed that it has no right to use your contact information for any purpose other than notifying you via VT Alerts. The vendor does not have rights to sell, disclose, or trade your contact information. When required by law (e.g., in compliance with a subpoena or court order) your contact information may be disclosed.
Only the individuals employed by Virginia Tech who must use this information to administer and manage VT Alerts will have access to your contact information.

• Those with a Virginia Tech PID will automatically receive VT Alerts via their vt.edu email. Once signed up for additional contact methods, all members of the university community are subscribed to VT Alerts until they take action to unsubscribe. Students and employees are asked to log into their accounts at least annually to ensure their contact information and notification preferences, including region, are up-to-date. Doing so prior to a public test allows for the opportunity to validate any changes to your account.
• Hokie family and friends and other university community members: The alerts will be active until the following May 31. All users who subscribe will receive a message with instructions to opt-in again if desired on or before May 31.
• Blacksburg campus visitors: The alerts will be active for 7 days. All users who subscribe will receive a message with instructions to opt-in again if desired at the end of the 7-day period.

The information provided will be used only for emergency notifications.

• Employees and students will continue to receive VT Alerts as long as they are enrolled in classes or are employed by Virginia Tech. To unsubscribe from additional VT Alerts contact methods, visit the subscription page.
• Parents, family members, friends, community members: Text Stop 
  to 226787 to cancel alerts. 
• Blacksburg campus visitors: Text Stop to 67283 to cancel alerts. 

After you leave Blacksburg, please consider unsubscribing to VT Alerts. Doing so is very important. By removing the contact information of individuals who no longer need to receive emergency notifications, VT Alerts will be able to deliver messages faster to those who still need to receive those messages.

Steps to unsubscribe:

• Visit https://subscribe.alerts.vt.edu/alerts-subscribe/member/welcome and log into your account.
• Select “Unsubscribe from VT Alerts” at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions.

Ways to stay informed about what is happening across all Virginia Tech campuses:

• Visit the Virginia Tech Status Page and follow Virginia Tech on Facebook or Twitter for the latest university updates
• Sign up for VT Alerts for visitors and family members: Click here to learn more.

For students returning to campus in the fall, please take this opportunity to update your account and check the numbers and email addresses associated with your account.

Questions may be directed to 4Help at 540-231-4357.

Here are some likely reasons:

• Spam filters: Spam filters may block email messages from being delivered; to prevent this, add alerts@vt.edu to your "safe senders" list.
• Network issues: Network congestion may also delay delivery. You may want to check with your mobile service or email provider to ensure there are no issues with its network or software.
• Delivery size: The VT Phone Alerts system contains more than 40,000 subscribers, each with the option to choose up to three methods of contact: text message, email message, or phone. Although the same message is sent to each contact, the technology used to distribute the message varies by the selected method. A message is sent in cycles, which consists of an attempt to contact each subscriber in their preferred order until a confirmation is received. When one cycle is completed, a second cycle starts and sends a message to each subscriber that did not previously confirm. With the current number of subscribers, it may take up to 20 minutes to complete a cycle before a new one begins.
• Employees and students who have subscribed to receive alerts, but do not receive an alert during a test or emergency, should first log in to verify that their record is correct and then contact 4Help at 540-231-HELP (4357).
• All VT Alerts subscribers should expect to receive duplicate messages. This redundancy is intentional to ensure important information reaches as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. 

Please note: VT Alerts subscriptions are intended to communicate urgent information to students, faculty, and staff on campus during an emergency. For that reason, it is very important that you carefully consider your points of contact. If you have included parents, spouses, or others among your points of contact, we strongly suggest listing yourself as the first point of contact. To review your account, sign in.

Each method of contact (text message, email, and/or phone) uses different technology to distribute an alert. While the system is very robust, it also has limitations that affect the delivery process. Through testing and prior alert distributions, university officials have determined that confirming a text or email message may not prevent an attempted contact via telephone if that method has been chosen.