Emergencies can happen at any time and anywhere. Because of that, The University of Alabama is always ready to respond to any emergency that happens on campus.
Call UAPD
If you have an emergency while on campus and need law enforcement, fire or medical services, call UAPD at 205-348-5454 or 911. UAPD communications personnel are co-located with other emergency dispatchers in the Tuscaloosa County 911 Center and can quickly relay information to other agencies such as Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue or NorthStar Emergency Medical Services.
If you are in a situation where it’s not safe to place a voice call to 911, you can send a text to 911. When texting 911, enter a brief message that includes the location of the emergency and type of service that you need. Make sure to respond to any questions the 911 operator sends and follow their instructions. Remember, call 911 if you can, text if you can’t.
UA also maintains more than 200 blue emergency phones that can be used in an on-campus emergency. These phones are a direct line to UAPD.
The University of Alabama Police Department is made up of approximately 100 officers who have been trained to handle any emergency on the UA campus. All UAPD officers are certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. In addition, UAPD is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA.
Helping UAPD keep the campus safe is a group of Security Resources Assistants. They constantly monitor the campus through foot patrols and security cameras.
How UA will communicate in an emergency
If an emergency happens on campus, UA will use the UA Alert system to communicate about the situation and provide instructions if needed.
Here are some ways that you can receive a UA Alert:
- Through an SMS text message.
- Through a telephone call.
- Through an email to your “@cimson.ua.edu” or “@ua.edu” email address.
- Through the UA Safety app.
- Through messages displayed on computers on the UA Network that are running the Alertus Desktop Notification software.
- Through messages displayed on UA business telephones.
- Through messages displayed on digital signage in campus buildings.
- By following @UA_Safety on X, formerly known as Twitter.
- Through the campus public address system.
- And through 92.5 FM UA Info Radio.
Did you get the message?
Weather permitting, the University will test its emergency notification systems, including UA Alerts, the public address system and digital signage Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 11:55 a.m.
If you do not receive the UA Alert test, make sure your contact information is correct. Instructions for updating your contact information for students and employees can be found on the UA Alerts website.