K-State Alerts FAQs
These Frequently Asked Questions address the K-State Alerts emergency notification system.
About K-State Alerts
- What is K-State Alerts?
K-State Alerts uses automated phone calls and text messaging to alert you to university closings and crisis situations. K-State Alerts is one strategy of the greater university-wide emergency communications effort. In the event of an emergency, campus authorities are able to dispatch alerts and information directly to you through a variety of services such as email, postings to the K-State homepage, and now, automated phone calls and text messages.
- When will the university send me emergency alerts using K-State Alerts?
K-State Alerts will be used to inform recipients when a dangerous condition exists on campus (e.g. active shooter, storm in process, dangerous debris from storm), when a decision to close the campus has been made or when a decision to reopen the campus following a forced closure has been made.
- What is Leader Alert®?
K-State Alerts is powered by Leader Alert®, a rapid deployment notification platform. K-State partners with Leader Alert® to deliver time-sensitive messages to you in the event of a university emergency.
- Who is eligible to sign up for K-State Alerts?
Current students, staff, and faculty with an active eID are eligible to sign up for K-State Alerts. This includes K-Staters at the Manhattan and Salina campuses, distance students and those at research and extension offices. If desired, K-Staters could add their parents, children, or spouse's phone numbers when they sign up for K-State Alerts. K-State also has several other emergency notification systems, including e-mail, postings on the K-State website and public address systems on campus police cars.
- How often is K-State Alerts tested?
Twice per year on specified days. Tests ensure that the K-State Alerts and Leader Alert® service are functioning properly. You will be notified in advance of the test. If you do not receive the test alert, please verify you are set to receive emergency alerts and that the saved phone numbers are correct and current. If you need assistance, contact the IT Help Desk.
- What happens after I graduate or am no longer employed by K-State?
Approximately three weeks after your eID is no longer privileged to use K-State Alerts, your emergency contact information will become disabled and you will no longer receive emergency alerts.
- My instructor does not allow cell phones to be turned on in the classroom. How will I be notified during an emergency?
There are many other channels of communication the university uses to notify its students, staff, and faculty in the event of an emergency.
- Will I receive unsolicited messages ("SPAM") as a result of giving my phone number to K-State Alerts?
No. Only authorized personnel are permitted to send emergency alerts using K-State Alerts. In addition, K-State will not sell your contact information to third party marketers.
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Receive emergency alerts
- Where do I sign up?
Sign in to eProfile and click the ‘Manage your emergency contact settings’ link. Read and agree to K-State Alerts terms of service. You can choose to receive alerts specific to your campus (Manhattan, Salina, or both). You can also add up to three phone numbers and choose to receive automated phone calls or text messages for each phone number.
- What number will appear when I receive automated phone calls or text messages?
The Division of Public Safety's phone number, 785-532-5698, will appear when receiving an automated phone call. For text messages, this short code phone number, 29962, will appear in your caller ID. Note: If Leader Alert cannot deliver the text messages using the short code, 29962, the emergency text message will be sent from this international phone number, 011-44-780000-2106, which is based in the United Kingdom.
- What do I do if I did not receive an expected alert (confirmation, test, or emergency alert)?
Contact the IT Help Desk.
- If I sign up for automated phone calls, will I receive a confirmation phone call?
No. However, you will receive a confirmation email.
- If I sign up for text messages, will I receive a confirmation text message
Yes. A confirmation text message will be sent from Leader Alert® within 24 hours. If you do not receive this confirmation text message, contact the IT Help Desk.
- What does the confirmation text message say?
When you sign up to receive emergency text messages, you will receive a confirmation message from Leader Alert®. The message will look similar to, “Leader Alert. You are subscribed to Leader Alerts. Std. rates apply. Reply STOP to cancel. www.leaderalert.com/k-statealerts”. Note: T-Mobile™ users will receive a different confirmation text message and must reply to the confirmation message to complete the enrollment process. However, T-Mobile™ users that are re-adding a number that they previously replied YES with, are automatically enrolled and will not receive the confirmation text.
- T-Mobile™ is my cell phone provider. If I sign up to receive emergency text messages, do I receive a different confirmation message?
To subscribe to a text messaging service, T-Mobile™ requires its users to positively confirm via a reply text message that they intended to enroll with the service. To complete your enrollment with K-State Alerts, you must reply with the word “YES” to the confirmation text message sent by Leader Alert®. After replying “YES”, you will receive another message confirming your enrollment with K-State Alerts. However, T-Mobile™ users that are re-adding a number that they previously replied YES with, are automatically enrolled and will not receive the confirmation text.
- I have a pre-paid cell phone; can I receive emergency text messages?
No. Pre-paid cell phones are not supported and cannot receive emergency text messages from K-State Alerts. However, pre-paid cell phones can receive automated phone calls from K-State Alerts.
- Which cell phone carriers can receive emergency text messages?
All cell phone carriers are supported for emergency automated phone calls, however, Leader Alerts® only supports the following cell phone carriers for emergency text messages: Alltel™, AT&T™, Cellular One™, Nextel™, Sprint™, T-Mobile™, US Cellular™, Virgin Mobile™, and Westlink™.
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Change my number or stop receiving alerts
- How do I change my emergency contact phone numbers?
Sign in to eProfile and click ‘Manage your emergency contact settings’. Instead of updating an existing number, remove the incorrect phone number and add the correct phone number. Click the ‘Remove’ button next to the number you want to change. Enter your new phone number, specify the contact method (phone call and/or text message), and then click the ‘Add’ button.
- How do I stop receiving alerts?
Sign in to eProfile and click ‘Manage your emergency contact settings’. Click the ‘Remove’ button next to each phone number you no longer want alerts sent to.
- How do I add an alert type - automated phone calls or text messaging - to an existing phone number?
Sign in to eProfile and click ‘Manage your emergency contact settings’. Do one of the following: Add the phone number again, without removing the previously added number, but with the new alert type selected. Or, remove the phone number which has the alert type you want to change, and then re-add it with the desired alert types.
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