When emergencies occur off campus: What to know
When a life-threatening incident occurs off campus in heavily student-populated areas, and university police can confirm details with Boulder police, those registered to receive the will receive updates from campus as part of CU Boulder’s expanded alert zones.
The expansion started as a pilot program in fall semester 2022 and was adopted last fall. It will be assessed annually to ensure it is meeting the needs of the campus community.
The expansion encompasses areas near campus that are outside the geography for which the university is required to send emergency notifications as defined by the Clery Act but dense with student populations. This area includes the University Hill neighborhood, the Goss Grove neighborhood near Folsom Street and Canyon Boulevard, the Lower Chautauqua neighborhood and the residential area north of Williams Village called Baseline Sub.
The decision to send alerts within the expanded notification boundaries will be made depending on the severity of the incident as well as the location, distance from campus and student population density. University police will work in partnership with Boulder Police to confirm and share details of off-campus incidents.
Once CU Boulder police are aware of any life-threatening emergencies in the expanded zone and have confirmed details with the lead investigating agency, anyone with a CU Boulder email address will receive CU Emergency Alerts via email. Additionally, mobile phone subscribers will receive texts. Students, faculty and staff can .
Depending on the nature and severity of the emergency, public safety agencies off campus may send their own alerts. If you're in Boulder regularly, sign up for to ensure you’re receiving the latest emergency updates as they happen.
The Boulder Office of Disaster Management distributes emergency alerts for significant incidents, including natural disasters, via a system called. Campus community members with Boulder addresses are automatically opted into the Everbridge system. Those who live outside of Boulder but want to be aware of emergency notifications in the area for BoCo Alerts.
All students, faculty, staff, community members, parents and other family members are encouraged to follow on social media and enable push notifications to receive emergency messages for . Boulder residents are also encouraged to follow the on social media.