Ohio State's Department of Public Safety uses a variety of methods to communicate with the campus community. These include but are not limited to the Buckeye Alert System and Public Safety Notices. These methods are supported by the Department of Public Safety website, social media, traditional media and other communication channels. Off-campus crime reports are shown on the Community Crime Map.
Buckeye Alerts
The Buckeye Alert System is a multi-modal, emergency notification system that includes nearly two dozen communication methods. The Buckeye Alert System integrated new technology in 2016 to enhance the timely sharing of safety information. Buckeye Alerts, often sent via text message, are issued when it is determined that the campus community needs to take immediate action to remain safe. Due to texting requirements by cellular carriers, “Urgent Buckeye Alert” will appear in the text to indicate the urgent nature of the message.
As a result, if a Buckeye Alert text message is issued, there is a chance it may contain general information such as “Urgent Buckeye Alert! Emergency on Columbus campus: More info soon. Be observant/take action as needed.” In this instance, a second Buckeye Alert is likely to follow containing additional details like the incident location or the specific type of emergency.
Based on a variety of factors, including when information becomes known, Ohio State Public Safety officials will determine which method, or combination of methods, may be utilized to communicate during an emergency.
Please note that Google, Yahoo and other external email services are implementing changes to prevent spam. As part of those changes, safety-related emails like Public Safety Notices and Buckeye Alerts will be sent from publicsafety@emergency.osu.edu. Customers are encouraged to add the sender email address - publicsafety@emergency.osu.edu - to their address book to ensure that these messages are sent straight to their inbox.
How to Register
If your cell phone number is in our Student Information System (BuckeyeLink) or Workday (faculty/staff), then you are automatically registered for the Buckeye Alert Text Messaging System. To register for The Ohio State University's Buckeye Alert Text Messaging System, please review the following information:
Student Registration
Students who provide their cell numbers to Ohio State via Buckeye Link automatically are registered for the emergency notification text messaging service.
To add your cell phone number or change your number:
- Log into Buckeye Link
- Scroll down to "Personal Information"
- Click on "Phone"
- Click on "Add a phone number"
- Add/edit your MOBILE phone number, including area code
Faculty and Staff Registration
Faculty and Staff at the university or Wexner Medical Center should login to Workday and add or update your contact information.
Staff with limited access to the internet or who need assistance based on the impact of a disability should contact their Human Resource Professional for assistance in re-registering for Buckeye Alert.
Family and Friend Registration (A student, faculty or staff member will need to register you.)
Students, faculty and staff have the ability to register up to 2 additional cell phone numbers to receive text message notifications. These additional phone numbers can belong to parents, spouses, or anyone else they wish to include in the text message notifications.
Text messages will be sent to this group after a message has been sent to students, faculty and staff. Public Safety's goal is to notify the students, faculty and staff on campus as quickly as possible when an emergency occurs. Once this has been accomplished, we will send a text to parents, spouses and others.
Subscribe (A student, faculty or staff member will need to register you.)
Family and Friend Buckeye Alert Registration
Unsubscribe
To unsubscribe, please log in above and follow the instructions listed under the "FAQ" section.
Questions? Email emergencymanagement@osu.edu
Multiple Campuses Registration
Students, faculty and staff have the ability to register to receive Buckeye Alerts from multiple Ohio State University campuses. Submit the form linked below to receive these alerts.
Guests and Visitors
Guests to the Columbus campus can choose to opt-in to receive Buckeye Alerts during their time on campus. Guests may text the phrase “OSUGuest” to 67283 to receive BuckeyeAlerts for the next 24 hours, or “OSUGuest2” to 67283 to receive BuckeyeAlerts for the next 48 hours. Messages are not case sensitive.
View Buckeye Alerts / Campus Status
Public Safety Notices
Public Safety Notices are issued by the Police Division and exist to increase awareness about a criminal incident to promote safety and aid in the prevention of similar crimes. These are sent via email when a serious crime occurs that demonstrates an ongoing threat to the campus community. Ohio State Police reviews the known details of each reported criminal incident on a case-by-case basis with the safety of the campus community in mind.
The following criteria are considered before issuing a Public Safety Notice:
- Did a crime occur?
- Did the crime occur on campus property or on other Clery reportable property?
- Is the crime a Clery reportable crime?
- Is there a serious or continuing threat to the campus community?
Subscribe to Public Safety Notices and Neighborhood Safety Notices
Off-Campus Community Crime Map
The Community Crime Map consists of statistics from the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) and shows off-campus crime reports. Ohio State has pre-programmed the map to a one-mile radius, to include the three major crime categories of aggravated assault, residential burglary and robbery of an individual from the most recent 30-day period.
Safety Messaging Toolkit
The safety of our campus community is our number one priority. Please see the Safety Messaging Toolkit for information and resources that you may share with others.