New video series makes emergency alerts easier to understand
CU Boulder has launched a new animated video series designed to help the campus community better understand and respond to ourĚý.Ěý
“More clear. Less fear.”Ěýis a campaign that aims to empower CU Boulder students, faculty, staff and visitors with knowledge about emergency alert definitions and safety instructions, helping them make informed decisions during emergencies.
“We want our community to feel confident and informed when an emergency happens,” said Marlon Lynch, vice chancellor for public safety. “These videos are designed to explain what to expect and how to respond, in a format that’s accessible and easy to remember.”
The short-animated videos use infographics to explain CU Boulder’s three-tiered alert system:
Emergency Alerts—for safety
Sent when there’s an immediate threat to life or safety. You’ll receive these alerts via text, email, social media and other channels, with clear instructions on what to do. It's associated with the color red.
Safety Alerts—for awareness
Issued when there’s an ongoing threat on or near campus that needs your awareness (such as a robbery or motor vehicle theft). It’s associated with the color orange.
CU Advisories—for information
Shared for nonemergency situations that may affect you, such as road closures or nearby police activity. It’s associated with the color yellow.Ěý
The videos also explain key emergency terms such as “shelter in place” and “run, hide, fight” and emphasize the importance of acting quickly based on alert instructions rather than waiting for full details.
The series was born out of a grant awarded to the Institute of Behavioral Science’s Prevention Science Program by the Colorado Department of Public Safety’s Preventing Identity-Based Violence Program. CU Boulder researchers first conducted focus groups with faculty, staff and students aboutĚýtheir safety-related needs and interests on campus.
One of the themes to emerge from the focus groups was the need for clearer guidance on the university’s emergency alert system.
The Prevention Science Program then worked in collaboration with the Division of Public Safety, Division of Social Sciences, Division of Student Life and Office of Strategic Relations and Communications to develop the content, focusing on short videos that felt practical rather than overwhelming.
“Students, faculty, and staff expressed a desire for more information about and clarification of CU’s emergency alert system and terminology, particularly because the response to an emergency on a college campus is different from the response to an emergency in K-12 schools,” said Sarah Goodrum, director of the Violence Prevention Project in the Prevention Science Program. “This campaign used that feedback to develop clear, short explanations about the university’s three alert levels and key emergency alert terms.”
Through this collaborative effort, the campus developed this campaign to meet the campus community’s needs, is informed by best practices and is accessible across various platforms.
“This is a resource for everyone who steps foot on campus,” Lynch said. “We want all community members and their loved ones to feel more prepared and less anxious during emergency situations.”
The campaign supports the Division of Public Safety’s broader efforts to build trust and awareness of CU Boulder’s integrated approach to campus safety.Ěý
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