Virginia Tech to conduct partial test of VT Alerts Monday, Nov. 23
Virginia Tech will conduct a partial test of its VT Alerts system on Monday, Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. for the Blacksburg campus.
The campus community will ONLY receive a campus e-mail (@vt.edu e-mail addresses only) message and hear the outdoor sirens during this test. The Nov. 23 test WILL NOT utilize text messaging, VT Desktop Alerts, electronic message board in classrooms, the university homepage, e-mail to non-university e-mail accounts, or phone / voice mail messages.
The partial test is being conducted to assess recent enhancements and system upgrades to select portions of the university’s emergency notification system.
In the event of an actual emergency, individuals must be aware of their surroundings and take immediate responsibility for their personal safety and security. Initial VT Alerts messages will provide basic information on what to do; further instructions and updates will be provided by subsequent VT Alerts messages or first responders. In depth information, when available, will be posted to the university homepage.
VT Alerts is Virginia Tech's emergency notification system for the Blacksburg campus. In a campus emergency, Virginia Tech will use multiple information delivery methods to reach students, faculty, and staff because, at any given time, one form of communication might be better than another.
VT Alerts will also be utilized in those instances when severe weather impacts class schedules and the opening or closing of the university.
Distribution channels for VT Alerts include:
- The Virginia Tech homepage (www.vt.edu);
- Broadcast e-mails to all vt.edu accounts;
- Electronic message boards in classrooms;
- Campus sirens and loudspeakers;
- VT Phone Alerts; and
- VT Desktop Alerts.
VT Desktop Alerts is the newest notification method at Virginia Tech. VT Desktop Alerts sends a notice to your desktop or laptop computer, wherever you are as long as you are connected to the Internet. Users do not need to be on the campus to download the application or to receive the alert. However, to activate this service, the VT Desktop Alerts application must be downloaded to your computer.
