Alert Tool Goes Live Nov. 1

Alertus, the NC State Police Department’s newest Wolf Alert tool for all-campus emergency notifications, will roll out on Nov. 1, as the Office of Information Technology begins installing the desktop notification program on all university-networked computers.

In case of a dire emergency, Alertus will automatically flash a message on users’ screens, warning the campus community of imminent danger, such as a tornado on the ground or an active shooter on campus.

“This is another valuable tool in our toolbox to get information to our campus community in case of an emergency,” says Chief Jack Moorman. “Time can be a critical element in an emergency situation, and Alertus enables us to reach every networked computer on campus quicker than text messages or email alerts.”

The flash message will overlay the screen and disappear after the user hits an “Acknowledge” button. The message does not disable or interrupt the user’s programs or applications.

The message will be similar to text alerts that are currently sent to the campus community in emergency situations, but will be reserved for imminent threats of great magnitude, one step below the emergency sirens that are located throughout campus.

Alertus is available for download by users with administrative privileges. Otherwise, it can be installed on all computers by a department’s OIT technician. The program can also be downloaded for free to personal laptops and desktops by students, staff and faculty, though personal computers will only receive alerts when the owner is logged onto the university server via a WIFI or Ethernet connection.