UTMB is making a transition in its emergency notification system, effective immediately. FirstCall is being replaced with UTMB Alerts. Supported by a new vendor, UTMB Alerts will provide more features and offer greater reliability and flexibility. The new system allows users more options for personalizing how they receive emergency information, and it includes a response mechanism so you can let UTMB Alerts know when you’ve received a particular message.

One major change affects every member of the UTMB community. In compliance with new UT System requirements, all faculty, staff and students will now automatically be enrolled in UTMB Alerts, using telephone and/or email information contained in the university directory. This is to ensure the widest coverage possible for important messages related to health, safety and business operations in the event of an emergency affecting all or part of the university. (This is a change from FirstCall, in which individuals had to enroll themselves in order to receive emergency notifications.)

 
For faculty and staff:
UTMB Alerts messages will be sent to your UTMB email and/or telephone by default. You can add or edit non-UTMB contact information (such as a personal email addresses, home phones or mobile phones) and set the preferred priority order for each point of contact. You also can opt out of having messages sent to any personal email or telephone.
 
For students:
UTMB Alerts messages will automatically be sent to the email and/or telephone on record, including any personal email addresses or telephone numbers you have provided to the university. If you have a UTMB email address or telephone number, that contact information also will be included in the system. You can add to, edit, prioritize or delete any personal email or telephone information in UTMB Alerts.
 
For everyone:
The UTMB Alerts system is only as good as the directory information available for each person. Please take a moment now to check your information in the UTMB Directory, paying special attention to fields that do not change automatically when you move around campus: physical location, mail route and any personal contact information listed in the emergency information section. Keeping your individual directory information up to date is a vital step in making sure you receive timely notices of emergencies affecting your current work location. Refer to the UTMB Directory How-To Guide for updating your directory information.
 
Thank you for taking a few minutes now to make sure our emergency notification system is as accurate as possible. If you have questions about UTMB Alerts, email public.affairs@utmb.edu.