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Emergency Information

Frequently Asked Questions

The New Emergency Notification System

Why is NIU moving to a new Emergency Notification System?
The new system gives the university expanded capabilities to provide timely warnings to the campus community. It also provides an improved way to manage subscriber information.

What are the major changes?

  • All safety bulletins – both Advisories and Alerts – will be sent out via text message.
  • Only students and employees can subscribe to the system. Students have the option of adding contact information for up to two family members if, for example, their parents would also like to receive the text messages.
  • Subscriber information is managed through MyNIU. When a student graduates, they will be automatically unsubscribed from the system.

Will there be any interruption in notifications during the transition from the current system to the new one?

There will be no interruption in the university’s ability to send out text messages. However, current subscriber information will not be transferred to the new system so IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that all students and employees login to MyNIU and verify that they have provided a mobile phone number at which to receive text messages.

I am not affiliated with the university. Can I still receive text alerts?
The primary purpose of this service is to notify the immediate campus community as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency situation so it is only available to NIU students, their families and NIU employees. The following methods are available to the general public:

How the System Works

How does the Emergency Notification System work?
When a Safety Bulletin is issued, the system sends a text message to the mobile phone number that has been provided by students and employees through MyNIU. The system also sends an email to all niu.edu email accounts. This is just one component of the university’s emergency communication plan. See Types of Bulletins for a list of the mechanisms used to provide timely warnings to the campus community.

What kind of messages will I receive from the Emergency Notification System?
The system is used to distribute NIU Safety Bulletins – both Advisories and Alerts – to the campus community. There is a difference between advisories and alerts. Advisories are timely notifications of potential emergency (safety, criminal, health, hazardous weather) activity on or near campus where the threat is NOT immediate or life-threatening.  Alerts are used to distribute urgent information regarding emergencies that dictate immediate action because they present an imminent threat to the lives and safety of the general campus population.

How will I know the message is from NIU?
All text messages from the NIU Emergency Notification System will come from 893-61. You may want to add that code to your phone’s contacts under “NIU Safety Bulletin” so you recognize the name when the message comes through. Emails will come from safetybulletin@niu.edu and will be sent to your niu.edu email address. All emails will come from NIU Safety Bulletin at an everbridge.net address. Everbridge is our emergency notification system vendor. The emails from that domain are legitimate. 

What do I do when I receive an emergency notification message?
The message will give you a very brief description of the alert or advisory and tell you if you need to take action. Text messages have a 140 character limit, so the message will be brief. You should refer to the Safety Bulletins website for detailed information.
In the text message, the system will ask you to confirm receipt of the message. Type “YES’ and press send. This helps the university know that the message was received. The email will contain the same information as the text message. Again, you should see the NIU website for detailed information.

Does it cost anything to subscribe to the Emergency Notification System?
There is no charge to sign up for this service. Your cell phone carrier might charge you to receive text messages, so please check your plan. If your plan includes unlimited text messages, you will not be charged.

How to Subscribe to Emergency Notifications

How do I subscribe to NIU’s Emergency Notification System?
NIU students and employees are automatically subscribed to the service via their contact information in MyNIU. See http://www.niu.edu/emergencyinfo/register for information on how to update your mobile phone number in MyNIU.

Who can subscribe to NIU’s Emergency Notification System?
The primary purpose of this service is to notify the immediate campus community as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency situation so it is only available to NIU students, their families and NIU employees. The following methods are available to the general public:

How do parents subscribe to the system?
NIU students have the ability to register up to two emergency contacts to receive safety bulletin notifications text messages and emails. These contacts can be parents, spouses, family members or anyone else.
The primary purpose of this service is to notify the people on campus as quickly as possible when an emergency occurs. Notifications will be sent to the parents, spouses and others AFTER a message has been sent to all students and employees.

My cell phone number has changed and I'm no longer receiving alerts. What do I do?
You can update your cell phone number by logging in to MyNIU, and updating your phone number under Personal Information.

Will I still receive emergency notifications after I graduate or leave the university?
Contact information for the system is updated daily, so once you graduate or leave, you will be removed from the system. Parents, when your child graduates from NIU, your numbers will be deleted from his or her account. If you are listed on the account of another child who is still enrolled, you will continue to be registered.