Student Safety

USF Safe App

• Smartphone users now have the ability to make emergency calls and other helpful functions to help improve personal safety and security. USF Safe can trigger Mobile Blue Light to alert police, provides access to interactive maps, and the toolkit contains a flashlight, alarm, and more. The USF Safe App is available as a free download through the Apple or Google Play stores.

AlertUSF Text

• AlertUSF text messages are part of the USF Emergency Notifications System that allows you to receive emergency updates. All official USF emergency notifications will be sent out through AlertUSF. Faculty, staff and students are urged to register to receive these text messages.

Emergency Notification System (ENS)

• The University of South Florida System maintains a comprehensive Emergency Notification System (ENS) for the purpose of issuing immediate notification to keep the USF community informed and safe during an emergency situation. There are many components of the system that provide redundant layers of notification to ensure the widest possible distribution of the message, and these system components are regularly tested to ensure proper functionality.
  
  Components of the Emergency Notification System may vary by campus and include:

• • • AlertUSF Website (Tampa Campus Alerts Only) - The Alert Website serves as a central repository for emergency-related information that is released through AlertUSF. The AlertUSF Website will allow the public and individuals who do not receive AlertUSF Text access to information during and after an event. 
      
    • Homepage - Emergency messages will be broadcast to the USF institution’s homepage at the affected campus location(s). The website is the best place to receive the most thorough, accurate, and up-to-date information during an emergency.
    • Text Message - Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to sign-up to receive text alerts. To register, log in to NetID Account Services using your NetID, click "Update Emergency Notification Settings", follow instructions to opt in, and click submit. 
    • Outdoor Notifications - Maintained independently at each campus, outdoor notifications provide strobe, tone, and loud voice messages audible by outdoor populations through speaker arrays.
    • Indoor Notifications - Provides the ability to deliver voice messages within buildings. Indoor notification is currently available only within select buildings on the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses. Contact your facilities manager for more information.
    • Desktop Alerts - Desktop Alerts will appear on desktop computers that are maintained by USF IT and active when the messages are issued at each campus. If you encounter issues or do not receive Desktop Alerts on your USF desktop computer, contact IT at help@usf.edu.
    • Digital Displays - The Tampa Campus has integrated digital display boards across campus to broadcast emergency language to the displays.
    • Alert Beacons - Designated rooms on the Tampa campus have installed Alert Beacons which provide tone, strobe, and text.
    • Email - Email may be used for on-going messaging but will not communicate emergency notifications.
    • Social Media - Campus Twitter pages may be used to provide information about the emergency.
    • Campus Safety Emergency Hotline - During extended events, recorded information and updates may be available by calling the appropriate Campus Safety Emergency Hotline.

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