What to Do When You Receive A PSU Alert
A PSU alert signals an imminent threat or emergency situation on campus. In an emergency, every second counts. Your quick action can keep you and others safe.
- STOP: Immediately stop what you are doing. Read the full message carefully. Do not go to the location of the incident.
- ASSESS: Use the information in the alert to quickly determine your risk and safety.
- ACT: Follow the instructions immediately. Whether it's to shelter in place, evacuate, or avoid a specific area, your safety depends on acting without hesitation.
- SHARE: Tell those around you about the alert and the actions you are taking. You can help others who may not have received the message.
About the PSU Alert System
The PSU Alert system keeps the PSU community informed during campus emergencies by sending essential information, safety instructions, and guidance. It provides critical updates when urgent situations arise.
This system is reserved solely for urgent, life-threatening situations or significant emergencies on campus. Routine messages or spam will never be sent through PSU Alert. Alerts may be issued for:
- Unscheduled campus closures
- Extreme weather impacting campus safety (e.g., flooding)
- Campus emergencies requiring evacuation or shelter-in-place orders
- Critical campus-wide utility outages (e.g., boil water notice, power outage, etc.)
- Police activity requiring people to avoid a specific area on campus
PSU Emergency Management or Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO) sends alerts through our Rave platform as soon as possible once a credible threat is identified.
Note: Non-emergency messages, such as Timely Warnings and Campus Safety Advisories, are sent exclusively to @pdx.edu email addresses and are not delivered through PSU Alert. A Timely Warning is for a continuing threat, and a Campus Safety Advisory is for general situational awareness. For more information, visit the PSU Warnings, Alerts, & Reports page.
Next Steps
"Get Informed" is the first step in our preparedness framework. PSU Alert is the fastest way to get critical information during a campus emergency. Your participation helps build a more informed and prepared campus community for everyone.
- Review Your PSU Alert Preferences: Confirm your contact information and opt in for text and personal email alerts.
- Add PSU Alerts to Your Contacts: Save our short codes (231-77 or 630-79) and email addresses (psualert@notify.pdx.edu or psualert@pdx.edu) in your phone to recognize official messages.
- Review Emergency Procedures: Learn what to do durng an emergency.
- Get Prepared: Learn more about making a plan, building a kit, and building community by visiting our Personal Preparedness page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below are some of the most common questions about PSU Alerts. For a full list of FAQs, visit the PSU Alert FAQs page.
Who receives PSU Alerts?
All PSU students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled to receive alerts via their @pdx.edu email address. To receive text messages or alerts to a personal email, you must opt in.
How do I know a PSU Alert message is official?
Official PSU Alerts will come from one of these sources. We recommend you save them as contacts in your phone.
- Text messages: from 231-77 or 630-79
- Emails: from psualert@notify.pdx.edu or psualert@pdx.edu
Does it cost anything to sign up?
There is no charge to receive PSU Alerts from the university. However, standard text message rates may apply depending on your cellular plan.
How quickly will I receive an alert?
PSU Alerts are sent immediately once an emergency is confirmed. Delivery times may vary depending on your cellular provider and network condition
Have Questions?
Contact the Office of Emergency Management at emr-mgmt@pdx.edu.