Campus Emergency Communications
In an emergency or another incident, university-affiliated accounts should not post information that has not been approved for dissemination from approved sources or spokespeople. If you wish to disseminate the information, you should share posts from the official channels listed below.
VT Alerts
When a situation arises in which the university determines that immediate action is required, a campus-wide VT Alert is issued. VT Alerts allow students, faculty, and staff who subscribe to the system to receive urgent notifications by a phone message, text message, and/or desktop alert.
In addition to the subscription methods listed above, VT Alerts are also shared via:
- This webpage
- www.vt.edu
- X @vtalerts
- Broadcast emails to all vt.edu accounts
- Electronic message boards in classrooms and common spaces
- The weather/emergency hotline (540-231-6668)
- Official messages during emergencies and other incidents will come from the following social media accounts:
- Virginia Tech
- X: twitter.com/virginia_tech
- Instagram (stories): instagram.com/virginia.tech
- Facebook: facebook.com/virginiatech
- VT Alerts
- Virginia Tech Police
- X: twitter.com/vatechpolice
- Facebook: facebook.com/VirginiaTechPolice
- Virginia Tech Emergency Management
- X: twitter.com/behokieready
- Facebook: facebook.com/BeHokieReady
- Virginia Tech
In situations that occur that do not require immediate action the information may be relayed to the campus community via this webpage, email, on the Virginia Tech website, and through official Virginia Tech social media channels (see list above).
Note: As a public service, information will be sent to local media outlets as needed, such as in the case of an authorized closing or delayed opening during inclement weather; however, Virginia Tech is not responsible for inaccurate reporting of information on local media outlets.
Social media is a vital part of how we as a society communicate, and that’s especially true in times of heightened awareness. Rumors quickly spread in the absence of reliable, verified information.
The University Status website contains information on operating statuses at Virginia Tech campuses. Please refer to the above information for general and contact information.
Threats received via social media
If you become aware of a potential threat via your role as a social media administrator, report it immediately.
If the nature of the threat is an emergency, call 911. You can also refer a situation of concern to the university Threat Assessment Team at ThreatAssessment@vt.edu or to Virginia Tech Police at 540-231-6411. Additionally, include socialmedia-g@vt.edu in an email to emergency personnel.
Include as much information as possible, including the username of the individual involved, a screenshot of the message, who or what is involved, when the message was received, and other pertinent information.