In Case of Emergency: The U of A is Prepared; Are You?

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A life-threatening emergency can happen at any time, on any college campus. The best protection is to be prepared before something happens.

The University of Arkansas is prepared to protect the campus community in any type of emergency. That preparation includes providing you with the resources and information you need to protect yourself.

RazALERT

RazALERT (pronounced “raise alert”) is the U of A emergency notification system, the primary emergency resource for students, faculty and staff. Any time there is a threat to campus safety — anything from severe weather to an act of terrorism — a message will be sent to the entire campus community by text, email and telephone.

To make sure you get the message, go into your campus account in either UAConnect, for students, or BASIS, for faculty and staff. Then make sure the system has your correct phone numbers and addresses. You also need to give permission for the system to send you a text message.

You can also easily connect to UAConnect or BASIS from the RazALERT page in the Emergency Preparedness website.

RAVE Guardian

The RAVE Guardian cell phone app is another free, but priceless, resource for all members of the campus community. This app can be downloaded to any iPhone or Android cell phone. The app has many features, but in an emergency situation it lets you:

• Call for help with the push of a button.
• Report suspicious activity -- anonymously.
• Create a network of personal “guardians.”

Emergency Information

The U of A also provides a wealth of information on its Emergency Preparedness website, with a special section on what to do in any type of emergency situation. This includes the “Avoid, Deny, Defend” video showing what to do during an armed attack. The video was produced by the University Police Department and Student Affairs.

Knowing what to do and being prepared to do it before an emergency happens are the best ways to protect yourself. Please take the time to visit the Emergency Preparedness website.

What you learn could save your life.

Preventing an Emergency

The university is also actively working to prevent emergency situations on campus whenever possible. The Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment Team, for example, assesses, evaluates and acts to prevent potential campus incidents. Anyone on campus can confidentially report “red-flag” behavior to this group to try to keep violent situations from developing. 

The university also has established and regularly reviews a wide variety of safety protocols on campus.

And, of course, University Police and other U of A responders go through regular training to make sure they are prepared for any emergency.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.