The federal government is now text messaging smart phone consumers through their wireless carriers, regardless of whether they sign up for a notification system.
People in other university communities have recently received these messages and confused them with their university’s emergency text message notification system.
The federal messages are location-based and sent to people with smart phones that are capable of receiving the wireless emergency alerts (WEA) through their carrier.
No sign up is necessary, but people can manage what they receive through the Wireless Associate website.
The emergency messages can be sent to warn people of imminent weather or man-made disasters, Amber Alerts, and national security issues.
It’s important to note that these messages are different than UT Alert text messages. The messages also will look different.
- A Weather Service alert will look like a text, but the system uses a different technology so your phone may make a different sound or display the text differently. National Weather Service alerts will always end with “NWS.”
- UT Alert Text messages always begin with “UT Alert.”
For more information about National Weather Service messages, visit the Wireless Association website.
For more information about UT Alert or to sign up, click here.