Improving Emergency Notification through Panther Alerts

Is your family signed up to receive Panther Alerts? As of Fall 2008, FIU students, faculty, staff, parents of students and other members of the community were eligible to sign up for instant emergency alerts through Florida International University's Panther Alerts text messaging system.

Using Inspiron Logistics' Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS), FIU officials have the ability to send students and employees important updates during emergencies.

Signing up for Panther Alerts is easy! Participants need to provide their names, e-mail addresses and the phone numbers where they want to receive the text messages. They can update the information as necessary or remove the information if they no longer wish to participate. Those who sign up will receive text messages periodically to ensure that the system is working properly and that all registrants are receiving messages.

Panther Alerts is a free service provided for FIU employees, students, and friends and family. (Regular text message fees from your mobile service provider apply as necessary.) To sign up for instant emergency alerts, visit the FIU homepage at www.fiu.edu, and click on the link in the lower right-hand corner.

The Panther Alerts technology is just one way FIU is continually improving the University-wide emergency notification system. Over the past year, FIU also installed outdoor speakers at its campuses and placed emergency Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones in classrooms. University officials also alert the university community during emergencies through electronic signs at the entrances of the University Park and Biscayne Bay campuses and through local news outlets.

Encourage your student to register their cell phone with Panther Alerts today!