In the event of an emergency or significant disruption affecting the safety of our campus community, the University will activate its mass notification system to provide you with reliable information as early as possible and through a variety of methods.

Push notifications with SecurUO

  • Download the uOttawa safety app – SecurUO. Available on iOS and Android.
  • Receive emergency alerts via push notifications on your device.
  • SecurUO also contains a wealth of other safety and emergency information and some handy tools.
Learn more about SecurUO
SecureUO on iPhone.

Screen alerts with Alertus

Image of alert posted on a computer screen

Stay informed during emergencies with Alertus. Download the Alertus client onto your computer in order to receive screen alerts during an emergency affecting campus:

When activated, an alert will appear on your screen with the following text: ALERTE !! ALERT followed by a brief description of the affected area and what action to take.

Alertus icon.

Look for your Alertus icon in your tray!

If Alertus is not installed on the personal computer that you are working on you won’t receive a screen alert. Check your tray for the Alertus icon and if it is not connecting, be sure to contact Information Technology (IT) for assistance.
Contact Information Technology (IT)

Other alerts

When AlertUO is activated, the University will tweet updates using the Twitter handle @uOttawaAlert. Other Twitter handles, such as @uOttawa, will also retweet (RT) messages. As a follower, you’ll be asked to retweet all related posts to help spread the word.

We’ll also post updates on the University’s Facebook page.

All uOttawa account holders will receive an email with the subject line:MESSAGE D’URGENCE uOttawa EMERGENCY MESSAGE. The message will contain important information about the emergency. To prevent it from going to your junk mail folder, please add [email protected] to your “safe sender” list.

In emergencies, the uOttawa website will feature an emergency Web banner. It will appear at the top of every Web page and will be updated as often as possible so that you have easy access to the latest developments on the situation. The banner will also feature a link to the University’s Emergency Information Page, ue.uOttawa.ca, which will be activated only in emergencies.

When AlertUO is activated, information about the emergency and instructions to follow will be posted to a dedicated webpage as the situation unfolds.

In certain circumstances, the University may activate an emergency information line, 613-562-5555, to provide information during complex emergencies or disruptions.