Emergency Communication

While it is impossible to predict every significant emergency or dangerous situation that may occur on campus, the following identified situations are examples which may warrant an emergency notification after confirmation: armed/hostile intruder; bomb/explosives (threat); communicable disease outbreak; severe weather; terrorist incident; civil unrest; natural disaster; hazardous materials incident and structural fire.

Individuals can report emergencies occurring on campus by calling 617-495-1212.

Upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, employees, or visitors occurring on the campus, notification will be made by using some or all of the following methods depending on the type of emergency: 

• MessageMe - the University's emergency notification system
• www.harvard.edu/emergency - a special website activated at the time of major emergencies
• 617-496-NEWS (6397) - An automated notification line available in the event of an emergency
• 617-432-6666 - An automated notification line specific to the Longwood campus
• School and University websites
• Social media
• Email
• Face to face communication

If there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or staff occurring on campus, the University will follow its emergency notification procedures. If the University issues an emergency notification, then it is not required to issue a timely warning based on the same circumstances; however, the University will provide follow-up information to the community as needed.

MessageMe is the University’s primary tool for sending emergency notifications to members of the campus community.  MessageMe is used to streamline community communications, allowing crisis support leaders to immediately and simultaneously send messages to the University community. MessageMe sends alerts through three  main contact paths; email, text and voice call.

To facilitate the timely distribution of critical alerts, all active faculty, staff, students, and other community members who are likely to be on campus are automatically enrolled in the system with their primary email address as the default contact path. Harvard community members are encouraged to add additional contact preferences or update existing preferences regularly.  Harvard community members can view or update their MessageMe account information by visiting www.messageme.harvard.edu. The University also regularly shares the content of Emergency Notification with law enforcement and emergency services partners.

Emergency notifications are typically written and distributed by staff in the Office of the Chief of Police. Harvard Public Affairs & Communications (HPAC) is also authorized to distribute emergency notifications, at the discretion of the Chief of Police or their designee.

In the event of a failure in technology, the University may communicate using face-to-face communication.  Members of the larger community, such as parents or campus neighbors, may receive information about emergencies on campus from local/national media and/or the Harvard website.

HUPD is responsible for confirming(with the assistance of key campus administrators, local first responders, or the National Weather Service) if there is a significant emergency or dangerous situation that poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of some or all members of the Harvard University community.

Select members of HUPD and/or Harvard Public Affairs & Communications (HPAC), under the direction of the University’s Crisis Management Team, will, without delay and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of any emergency notification as well as the appropriate segment of the community to receive it and will initiate the MessageMe system, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to or otherwise mitigate the emergency.  Subsequent follow up notifications will be sent through MessageMe and the other communication tools listed above as needed.