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JeffALERT Emergency Notification System

Contact

Joseph E. Byham, MAS, CPM
Vice President, Public Safety
Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health

130 S. Ninth Street
Edison Building, Suite 1620
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Jennifer Keene
Systems Administrator

33 S. Ninth Street, Suite 600
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Instructions/Helpful Hints

Receiving a JeffALERT

A JeffALERT can be received through multiple devices. In some cases, you may even be asked to respond to an ALERT. Below explains how to receive and respond to a message. Remember, always read and/or listen to the entire message from JeffALERT.

By Text Message (SMS) ***

You will receive a text message from ID number 24639. It is a good idea to have this number programmed into your cellular phone as 'JeffALERT' so future text messages will be identified as emergency notifications.

IF you are prompted to respond to this text message, you will see 'REPLY' at the bottom of the text message; followed by a numeric (could be the number 1, 2 or 3).

Below is what you will see.


REPLY:
1) Message Received

Note: All carriers handle text messages differently. Because of this, you may receive the text message in multiple parts and they may also not be received in the correct order. Make sure you have received all parts of the message before responding. In this example, you would reply to the text message by selecting the numeric 1 on your keypad.

***Delivery time of text messages is based solely on your text carrier.

By E-mail

When you receive an E-mail from 'JeffALERT' it will provide you with the emergency notification. Similar to a text message, the notification will instruct you on how to respond, if necessary.

When you reply to the email you need to type the numeric number associated with the correct reply on the first line of your email.

By Phone

If you receive a call from phone number 1-866-609-8026, this is JeffALERT. It is a good idea to have this number programmed into your cellular phone as 'JeffALERT' so future calls will be identified as emergency notifications. The phone number above is what you will see if you have a caller ID device on your land line.

NOTE: In the rare event that the JeffALERT system is undergoing scheduled or unscheduled maintenance during an actual emergency notification, the number may change to one of two alternates: 1-800-330-5889, or 1-800-823-1167. We recommend that you also program these numbers into your cellular phone and associate them with JeffALERT.

When you pick up the phone, you will hear an automated message. Make sure that you speak when you pick up the line, or the system will think that it has reached an answering machine and you will not be able to respond on the call.  Listen to the entire message and if needed, press 0 to repeat the message. If you are not prompted to take further action, simply hang up. If you are prompted for a response, listen to your options and answer accordingly.

By Voicemail

In the event that you do not pick up your phone in time, JeffALERT will leave a message on your voicemail. To retrieve this message do the following:

  • Listen to the entire voicemail
  • Write down the telephony ID number given in the message (this is always the same for you)
  • Call 1-866-609-8026 (It is encouraged to save this number into your phone as well)
  • After dialing in to the above number, enter your telephony ID when prompted
  • You will hear the full JeffALERT message
  • If prompted to respond, enter the appropriate response

User FAQs

No. If you are asked to respond, you only have to respond to JeffALERT once. After doing so, the system will recognize your response and stop sending you new messages.

IF JeffALERT is requiring a response, or you have not answered a device, the system will make several consecutive attempts to contact you. Once you respond, or answer the message, the system will no longer call.

Yes. You can go to Canvas and the Hospital intranet and view a JeffALERT notice on the home page. You will see the alert listed at the top of the page in the yellow highlighted area. You can also visit the JeffALERT web site.

Yes. However you will be told that your response is invalid on your second submission.

Simply follow the directions below:

STUDENTS:

Access Banner Web and select the "Personal Information" link. Choose the 'JeffALERT' icon at the top of the page. You will be asked to update your local and permanent phone numbers as well as your cellular phone number. This information is automatically updated in the JeffALERT system every 24 hours.

Please note that JeffALERT e-mail notifications default to the students' university e-mail accounts. This occurs automatically.

FACULTY/STAFF:

Access PeopleSoft either directly through your browser or the home page of Canvas. 

In your Personal Information section, choose Phone Numbers and closely follow the directions at the top of the page. Then:

Choose Cellular and:
Include the cellular phone number you wish to be contacted at during an emergency

Choose Work Phone and:
Include the complete office phone number you wish to be contacted at during an on-campus emergency.

This information is automatically updated in the JeffALERT system every 24 hours.

Please note that JeffALERT e-mail notifications default to faculty/staff university e-mail accounts. This occurs automatically.

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