ECU Alerts History

Campus administrators continue to monitor forecasts for Tropical Storm Debby. The storm is expected to move across or just offshore of the southeastern United States this week. Forecasts predict periods of heavy rain in eastern North Carolina beginning Tuesday and lasting late into the week. Potential impacts include heavy rain, flooding and thunderstorms. At this time, classes and operations are expected to remain on regular schedule. Forecasts can change rapidly and significantly so continue to monitor ECU emergency communications. Any updates to campus operations will be announced through ECU Alert. Anyone traveling should pay close attention to the weather. All employees and students should use their own judgment based on their specific situation. Be careful of hydroplaning while traveling on wet roads. Do not drive through moving or standing water or around barriers. Stay tuned to local weather stations or the National Weather Service for the latest updates on Tropical Storm Debby.

On Wednesday, July 31, East Carolina University will test the ECU Alert speaker system at the Health Sciences Campus. ECU Alert testing On Wednesday, July 31 between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., speaker maintenance will be conducted on all outdoor speakers across the Health Sciences Campus. Outdoor speakers will be tested in groups and individually. Individuals on campus should expect to hear a tone and alert message stating a test is taking place. Emergency Notification Registration Registration for cellphone/email messaging is available by selecting the ECU Family & Community Registration tab at alertinfo.ecu.edu. Faculty, staff, and students with an active ECU email are automatically enrolled in emergency email messaging.

This is a test of the ECU Alert Emergency Notification System. Had this been an actual emergency, info would be posted at ecu.edu/alert and sent to your email.

East Carolina University will test indoor and outdoor speakers on Main Campus and Health Sciences Campus between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10. Those in the area may hear a tone and a test message repeated several times. We will conduct a full test of the ECU Alert system at 3 p.m., Friday, May 10. If you have any questions about this test, or ECU Alert, visit the ECU Alert website or the Office of Environmental Health and Safety website. Thank you for your cooperation.

ECU is experiencing a campus network outage. Our technicians are aware of the issue and working to resolve the problem. We will send a notification when the issue has been resolved.

As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, we are testing ECU's Emergency Notification System. If this had been an actual emergency, important information would be provided below.
In conjunction with the test, the University is providing the following information regarding procedures for emergency notification, preparedness / response, and sheltering from a storm:

Emergency Notification

If an emergency occurs, ECU Alert messages will provide instructions and updates as the situation unfolds. Where appropriate, in-depth information will be shown in a red bar on the ECU homepage at ECU.edu. Users who have registered for ECU Alert text messages will receive an SMS text message. Registration for text messaging is available at ECU AlertInfo.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Guidance for preparedness and response to specific hazards is available at Office of Environmental Health Emergency Preparedness, as well as on the LiveSafe app.
Faculty, staff, students and visitors are urged to remain calm and aware of their surroundings, use common sense, and avoid unnecessary risks when hazards occur.
Each campus unit should have evacuation and lockdown plans in place. Contact unit safety representatives for additional information.

Tornado Warning: Shelter-in-Place

A tornado warning is issued for specific areas when a tornado has actually been sited or has been indicated on Doppler radar.

A shelter-in-place notification may come from the ECU Alert system when severe weather is imminent on our campus. The shelter-in-place order means that all faculty, staff, students, and visitors should follow the steps below, remaining in place until otherwise notified:
• Seek shelter immediately.
• Alert others to the threat for severe weather.
• If outside, move quickly to the nearest permanent, sturdy structure. If no shelter is available, take refuge in your car.
• If inside, stay where you are. Locate an interior room at or below ground level, with minimal windows or exterior doors.
• Remain sheltered until the weather improves or you receive an All Clear notification.
• Continue to monitor the weather, as well as ECU Alert messages.

East Carolina University students are on spring break through March 10. During this week, the university will test the ECU Alert notification system and host police training on campus.

Police training

The ECU Police Department will conduct training exercises March 4-7.

Law enforcement will be on campus in the areas of the Main Campus Student Center, main campus parking deck and Joyner Library for classroom training and practical exercises. The practical exercises will be active assailant response training in the buildings after business hours. Signage will be displayed around the buildings alerting the public to the training exercise.

The training will cross multiple disciplines in the police department including officer response, dispatcher involvement and incident command. ECUPD will use this as an opportunity to test the functionality of LiveSafe in each of the different training locations.

ECU Alert testing

On Tuesday, March 5 speaker maintenance will be conducted on outdoor speakers across main and Health Sciences campuses. Outdoor speakers will be tested in groups and individually throughout the day. Individuals on campus should expect to hear a tone and alert message stating a test is taking place.

A full test of the ECU Alert emergency notification system will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, March 8.

The test will assess multiple communication systems including the ECU homepage, email, indoor and outdoor loudspeakers, VOIP phone text and voice, SMS text messages, desktop pop-up notifications, and messages on digital signs.

People on campus will hear a voice message on their office telephones and on loudspeakers that will identify this as a test of the ECU Alert emergency notification system. Employees, students and parents will receive ECU Alert test emails to registered accounts. Digital screens located throughout campus will carry a test message. Users who have registered for ECU Alert cellphone messages will receive one SMS text message.

Campus computer users are reminded that the university has a pop-up notification system, AlertUs, which will fill the computer screen with the ECU Alert message when activated. After the users have read the message, clicking “Acknowledge” will close the warning. Employees working remotely may also experience this pop-up notification.

Registration for cellphone messaging is available by selecting the ECU Family & Community Registration tab at https://alertinfo.ecu.edu/ .

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to download the free safety app LiveSafe. LiveSafe allows users to report suspicious activity and safety concerns discretely and anonymously to ECU Police. Other features such as Panic Alarm, Mental Health and Wellness resources and SafeRide are also available on the LiveSafe app. There are other crime and safety apps available for mobile devices. LiveSafe is the only app that is affiliated with ECU with features specifically for the ECU community.

ALL CLEAR: ECU Police and Campus Living have given the approval for Legacy Hall residents to return to their rooms. The building was evacuated out of an abundance of caution after a social media post alerted law enforcement of an object that may or may not have been a bomb. No direct threat was made.

A social media post was reported to law enforcement where a student referred to an object in their room that may or may not be a bomb; no direct threat was made. When ECU Police officers arrived, the student was cooperative. An item was located that appeared suspicious. Out of an abundance of caution, law enforcement and Campus Living removed students from the building and are waiting on equipment to investigate the item.

ECU administrators continue to monitor the approaching storm. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for Greenville/Pitt County beginning 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

Due to the impending storm and for continuity of instruction, all classes and labs will transition to virtual beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9. Classes will return to scheduled delivery method Wednesday, Jan. 10. Faculty should use their own discretion on which instructional delivery mode is appropriate for their courses, pursuant to the guidelines found in the continuity of instruction best practices.

Students should expect to receive explicit directions from their respective instructors regarding the continuity of instruction plan for their specific courses.

Starting at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9, employees should observe Condition 1 of the University Adverse Weather & Emergency Event policy until midnight Tuesday, Jan. 9. Supervisors may deem certain employees mandatory based on university needs. Review the ECU Adverse and Emergency Event page for more information. Employees whose duties are conducive to remote work may telework from home during Condition 1, but only with supervisor approval.

Gusty winds and heavy rain are expected to impact Pitt County and eastern North Carolina Tuesday afternoon. The latest forecast can be found on the National Weather Service website, www.weather.gov/mhx/ .

Road conditions are expected to be hazardous Tuesday afternoon and evening. Stay off the roads if possible. The latest road conditions can be checked at DriveNC.gov, https://drivenc.gov/ .

If traveling stay alert, avoid cellphone use, leave early to allow for additional travel time, reduce speed, increase following distance, and be patient. Conditions experienced by individuals will vary depending on geographic location. Everyone is responsible for their own actions and safety. ECU students and employees should exercise their best judgment regarding their schedules, using caution and discretion based on commuting distance and road conditions.

This information and any updates will be posted on the ECU Alert website, www.ecu.edu/alert/, as well as posted on ECU’s official X (Twitter) account.

For information about campus services, including dining options, transit the student recreation center and student centers, visit the ECU Student Affairs website, https://studentaffairs.ecu.edu/.

ECU Health Physicians clinics will be open Tuesday, Jan. 9 for in-person visits. ECU Health Physicians clinics has the following special hotline available for patients and staff: 252-744-5080 or 1-800-745-5181. ECU School of Dental Medicine clinics will continue as scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

Staff at the Coastal Studies Institute should contact their supervisors regarding work schedules.