UMass Boston

How to Enter Your Cell Phone Number in the System

1. Visit www.getrave.com/login/umb. Note: You do not need to click on "Register" if you have a UMass Boston email account because you are already registered in the system.  

2. Log in, following the directions on the screen. Your username is the part of your email address that precedes @umb.edu. For example, the username for the email address John.Smith001@umb.edu is John.Smith001 without the @umb.edu. The password for the system is the same as your UMass Boston email password.

3. Add your mobile number and indicate whether you want to receive voice messages as well as text alerts. 

4. The system will send out a test message with a 4-digit confirmation code to your cell phone. Revisit the My Account tab to enter this code and complete the confirmation. Whether you confirm or not, the system will send out emergency messages to your listed cell phone number.

*Be sure that the phone number in your UMass Boston Emergency Alert System account matches your WISER account.  If you change your number in WISER, your number in the alert system will be automatically changed.

Update Your Preferred Phone Number and Email Address

Users may log in to the Emergency Alert System to update or add their preferred phone number and/or email address. Visit www.getrave.com/login/umb or click on the "Log in to Emergency Alert System" button at the top of this page.

Sign Up for Alerts as a Guest or Community Member

Anyone who is not currently an active UMass Boston student, faculty, or staff member has two options to sign up for Emergency Alert System:

1. If you are a guest to the UMass Boston campus for an event or conference, you may use the Temporary 3-Day Sign-Up method by texting the word UMBTempAlerts to 67283. This will sign you up to the UMass Boston Emergency Alert System for only three (3) days.
2. Family members and other members of the community are encouraged to sign up for text alerts by using the Quick Sign-Up method listed at the top of the page.  Simply text UMBalerts to 67283 to sign up.

The UMass Boston Emergency Alert System will send emergency alerts to all active UMass Boston email accounts and phone numbers. Alerts are also sent to campus TV screens, university computers on the campus network, and the outdoor speaker system.

If you are not a current UMass Boston student, faculty, or staff member, you may sign up for text alerts by following the Temporary 3-Day Sign-up or Quick Sign-up methods listed at the top of the page.

Aside from quarterly system tests, the Emergency Alert System is only used for emergencies and specific threats to campus safety.

The system is not used for event announcements, campus life information, or other non-emergency topics. It is not used for city, regional, or national emergencies that do not affect the campus directly. For those general news alerts, see notification systems advocated by the City of Boston Office of Emergency Management, MEMA, and local TV news stations.

Members of the UMass Boston Police Department, Emergency Management, and Communications Office have the authority and ability to send out emergency notification messages. Please visit the UMass Boston Alert System Policy for more information.

Those with disabilities are encouraged to sign up for the UMass Boston Emergency Alert System to receive emergency notifications via the modalities that work for them. If you have a disability and have difficulty receiving alerts on your phone, please contact the Office of Emergency Management at 617.287.5104 or the ADA Compliance Officer at 617.287.5148. Additional resources are available on the ADA & Accommodations website.

"Public Safety Threat"

This means there is an active threat on the campus. Avoid the area. If you are in the affected location, evacuate safely if you can. If safe evacuation is not possible, take cover and/or take action to protect yourself.

"Avoid Area"

This means stay clear of the area identified in the alert. If a building is affected, go to another building or another part of campus. Do not congregate near the emergency.  This is different from a campus-wide evacuation.

"Shelter in Place"

“Shelter in place” often is taken to mean “stay where you are until further notice.”  More specifically, it means take shelter in an interior room if possible, away from windows.

"Building Evacuation" / "Campus-Wide Evacuation" / "Early Closing" / "Campus Closed"

In some cases, only a single building will be evacuated; other buildings will remain open. If there is a threat to the entire campus, there will be a campus-wide evacuation. An early closing due to weather concerns or a utility outage is not an evacuation. It is an orderly closing.

Various media outlets offer text alerting options. They will often include alerts such as those provided by WEA but may also include top news stories. Some will offer a degree of customization relative to which types of alerts you wish to receive.

Commuting in and around Boston can be challenging. There are a number of sources of information regarding traffic alerts, including from the MBTA, Massachusetts Department of Transportation and other sources. Please visit Useful Links & Resources.

Most cell phones are enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), unless this function is disabled by the user. These alerts are not sent by UMass Boston but rather by weather, emergency management, and other government authorities. They provide critical emergency information based on location. They are the fastest way to learn of a weather emergency as the National Weather Service is able to alert you directly regarding dangerous storms such as tornados. If you receive a Wireless Emergency Alert, follow any action advised by the message. Seek more details from local media or authorities.

If you have a WEA-enabled phone, you are automatically enrolled, and you do not need to sign up for this system. The number of WEA-capable devices continues to grow, and most new phones (both smartphones and non-smartphones) that are sold from participating carriers will be able to receive these alerts. To confirm that your device is capable of receiving the alerts, please check with your mobile carrier. For more information, visit Mass.gov.