What to Know about RAVE: OU’s Emergency Communication System
Whether it is a severe weather event or a suspected safety threat, the University of Oklahoma will make sure you are informed until the danger has passed. In emergency situations, OU utilizes its emergency communication system, known as RAVE, to provide regular updates.
What is RAVE and how will I be notified?
RAVE allows the university to quickly send accurate and up-to-date information to students, faculty and staff in emergency situations, such as campus closures, severe weather threats and emergency incidents on any of OU’s campuses. Depending upon the nature of the incident, RAVE alerts may be sent via text messages, emails, social media and/or phone calls.
For ongoing emergency incidents, the university will send regular updates through RAVE. “ALL CLEAR” notifications are sent when there is no longer a threat to campus.
During an emergency situation, official updates from the university are distributed via RAVE. This will be your best source of timely and ACCURATE information regarding the situation. For situations involving law enforcement, please only contact OUPD if you have relevant information about the event or are experiencing an emergency.
How do I update or verify my contact information for RAVE?
Emergency contact information currently on record for all OU students, faculty and staff has been pre-loaded into the RAVE system. To update or verify your emergency contact information, visit ecs.ou.edu. This link may be used for individuals on all three campuses.
When you go to the link, you will be asked to log in with your OU email or OUNetID and password.
Once you are logged in, click “Edit contact settings” at the bottom of the page. From there, you can select which campus(es) you would like to receive alerts for. You can also update your mobile number to receive text messages and/or phone calls. On this page, you can also edit your contact settings to add a second phone number – such as that of a family member or loved one – to receive these alerts.
Non-OU Community Members Can Opt In
Members of the campus communities, such as family members and neighboring merchants, may opt in to receive emergency alerts for any of OU’s three campuses. To opt in:
- Norman Campus: Text “OUALERTS” to 67283
- Health Sciences Center: Text “HSCAFFILIATE” to 226787
- OU-Tulsa: Text “outulsa” to 67283
Phone Numbers to Know
RAVE alert text messages for all campuses will come from one of these five phone numbers:
- 226-787
- 229-11
- 672-83
- 780-15
- 772-95
RAVE alert phone calls for each campus will come from:
- Norman Campus: (405) 325-9276
- Health Sciences Center: (405) 271-8000
- OU-Tulsa: (918) 660-3830
OU students, employees and families should add these phone numbers to your contact list in your mobile phone and name the contact “OU Alert” to ensure awareness of RAVE alerts. When an emergency text is delivered to you, it will appear as a text message from OU Alert rather than a random number (i.e. 672-83). This allows you to recognize the text as an emergency message from OU and not a spam or junk text message.
RAVE Alert Keywords to Know
Due to Federal Communications Commission regulations, OU RAVE alerts include one of three keywords. Each keyword indicates level of response required:
- “Emergency” = Take Immediate Action
This applies to significant emergency or dangerous situations involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees on campus. (e.g., tornado warning, fire or law enforcement emergency). - “Urgent” = Be Aware/Prepared
This could include a campus closure (e.g., weather conditions) or a situation that requires awareness, but no immediate action (e.g., controlled power outage). - “Critical” = Indicates a Timely Warning
Timely warnings are triggered by Clery Act crimes that have already occurred in OU’s geography but are considered a serious or ongoing threat to students or employees. Some examples include arson, burglary, aggravated assault, criminal homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery and sex offenses.
For instance, an example of a RAVE alert indicating a tornado warning in Norman would be:
OU-NORMAN Emergency [TIME]: Tornado WARNING in effect for OU-NORMAN Campus. Seek shelter NOW inside the building you are in. Move to lowest floor/interior room.
Students and Employees at Remote Locations
OU students and employees who study or work at remote locations will receive RAVE alerts from the OU campus where their program resides but are also encouraged to register for emergency alerts specific to their geographic location. Depending on individual circumstances, this might be through a separate institution or local municipality.
OU System-Wide RAVE Testing
Near the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, the University of Oklahoma conducts a university-wide test of the RAVE alert system.
