Getting the alerts when they matter most

For the Dalhousie community, important campus messages can be just a text message away.

Dal Alert is an integrated messaging service provided by the university to inform students and staff of campus hazards, significant campus closures and other events that need to be communicated to a large portion of the campus community. These events may include school closures due to adverse weather, power outages, fires, or accident.

Dal Alert includes messages sent by email and posted on the Dalhousie website homepage, but among its major tools is a text messaging service that students and staff can subscribe to.

There will be a test of the system on Thursday, September 29. Those who haven’t signed up for Dal Alert text messaging should do so prior to the test. It’s easy: visit dalalert.dal.ca and click the ‘subscribe’ link. After entering your NetID, password and cell phone number, you’ll receive a confirmation number via text to enter through the website.

With 9,417 subscribers and growing, the service has been well received by the Dal community, with the number of subscribers increasing significantly each year.  

“At the very least, this is a convenient service to allow students, faculty and staff to receive early alerts as to weather-related closings,” says Dwight Fischer, assistant vice-president, Information Technology Services. “However, while not likely, if there is an emergency or an urgent need to communicate to our community, Dal Alerts go right to your cell phones.”

He also adds that a lot of people like the alerts for weather closings, in particular, so they can turn over and go back to sleep – something everyone can relate to.

For more information, visit dalalert.dal.ca or email dalalert@dal.ca