Text message service available in event of extreme emergencies

As part of its evolving emergency communications procedures, Harvard University is making available text message alerts to students, faculty, and staff to be used only in the event of an extreme, campus-wide, life-threatening emergency.

Harvard ID holders are encouraged to sign up at http://www.messageme.harvard.edu at the beginning of each academic year and to provide their names and cell phone numbers. All of the information provided is private and will not be shared.

The University hopes that it never has to use this system, but, given the popularity of text messaging, it is making this service available as part of a redundant set of technological solutions for communicating with the Harvard community in the unlikely event of an extreme emergency. Other services include e-mail, voice mail, Web pages, and the call-in emergency phone line (617) 496-NEWS.

Subscribers will not be contacted by text messaging unless there is an extreme, campus-wide emergency that is life-threatening and requires instant communication.