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UW Emergency Management

UW crisis communications plan

Developed, updated and approved by the UW Crisis Communications Teams in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma. Updated and approved Sept. 8, 2026.

Introduction

About the Plan

The University of Washington’s crisis communications plan outlines the roles, responsibilities and protocols that will guide the university in promptly sharing information with the UW’s audiences during an emergency or crisis.

Our guiding principle will be to communicate facts as quickly as possible, updating information regularly as circumstances change to support the safety of the UW community and the continued operation of essential services.

We will use multiple mediums to reach as many people as possible with accurate, timely information. This is especially important in the first hours and days of an emergency or a crisis. Our goal is to be open, accountable and accessible to all audiences, although mindful of legal and privacy concerns.

This plan is designed to be flexible and used in conjunction with other emergency decision-making procedures of the University, including the UW’s Emergency Operations Plan.

Definition of a Crisis

For the purposes of this plan, a crisis is defined as a significant emergency, dangerous situation or disturbance in the university’s activities which has the potential to have a significant impact on the safety of individuals on campus and/or University operations.

Scope

The audience for this plan includes current and potential undergraduates, graduates, and professional school students as well as faculty, staff, alumni, visitors, parents, regents, neighbors, city and regional leaders, the media, our Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma communities, national and international publics and state and federal officials.

This plan is designed for the entire University of Washington system. The UW system includes the UW campus in Seattle, the UW Bothell campus and the UW Tacoma campus. UW Medical Center and other UW Medicine-affiliated facilities have their own crisis communications plans.

Each campus and the UW Medical Center are responsible for its own specific procedures. Teams from each campus and UW Medical Center will work together to coordinate messages and provide effective communications to the entire University of Washington community.

The UW Bothell campus is co-located with Cascadia College. Emergency communications issued for the UW Bothell campus are also intended to reach everyone present at Cascadia College, including Cascadia students, faculty, staff and visitors. Cascadia College is represented on the UW Bothell Crisis Communications Team, and the UW Bothell team coordinates with Cascadia College so that UW Alert and UW Advisory messages affecting the co-located campus are shared via Cascadia College’s notification channels.

To ensure communication accuracy, consistency and coordination during an emergency, UW’s Crisis Communications Teams, the UW Police Department, and UW Campus Safety Offices are the only teams authorized to send alert and warning messages to UW students, faculty, staff and visitors. Centralizing these messages helps ensure that critical information is verified before it is distributed, that messages are consistent across the university, and that the right audiences receive timely instructions through the appropriate channels. Individual buildings, departments and units should not issue independent emergency alerts, as conflicting or duplicative messages can create confusion and make it more difficult for people to understand what is happening and what actions they should take.

Roles, Responsibilities and Operations

Convening the Crisis Communications Team

Given the urgency of communicating critical information, the Crisis Communications Team will be convened as quickly as possible upon notification of an event that may require a UW Alert or Advisory. The team may be activated for an individual campus or multiple campuses as needed.

In Seattle and Bothell, any member of the Crisis Communications Team may convene the team. In Tacoma, designated members activate the Crisis Core team.

The person who initiates the Crisis Communication Team meeting is responsible for providing information about the emergency or crisis that merited activation.

The team meets via a conference call, video call or in person.

For incidents that may have a significant impact to University operations, the Crisis Communications Team Chair or chair’s designee is responsible for notifying the Vice President of Campus Community Safety or vice president responsible for Campus Safety, who will inform the senior leadership as needed. Also, if a situation requires operational coordination in Seattle, the UW’s Incident Coordination Team will be activated by UW Emergency Management.

Crisis Communication Team Representatives

The UW Crisis Communication Team includes individuals whose departments and organizations play a critical role in addressing a crisis. Other units may be invited to participate in Crisis Communication Team responses based on the specific incident.

UW in Seattle

  • UW Housing & Food Services
  • UW Bothell Campus Liaison
  • UW Emergency Management
  • UW Environmental Health & Safety
  • UW Information Technology
  • UW Medical Center
  • UW Police Department
  • UW Tacoma Campus Liaison
  • UW Communications
  • UW Division of Campus Community Safety

UW Bothell

  • Cascadia College PIO
  • Cascadia College Emergency Management
  • UW Bothell Campus Safety
  • UW Bothell Emergency Management
  • UW Bothell Facilities Services and Campus Operations
  • UW Bothell Marketing & Communications
  • UW Bothell Office of Advancement
  • UW Bothell Planning & Administration
  • UW Seattle Liaison

UW Tacoma

  • UW Tacoma Campus Safety & Security
  • UW Tacoma Marketing & Communications
  • UW Tacoma Information Technology
  • UW Tacoma Integrated Facilities Management
  • UW Tacoma Finance & Administration
  • UW Tacoma Student Affairs
  • UW Seattle Liaison

The Crisis Communications Team leaders at each location will develop and regularly update a list of key Crisis Communication Team members and their 24/7 contact information. Each represented department will strive to have a minimum of three designated and trained individuals to ensure adequate 24/7 coverage. Confidential contact information will be maintained as part of the Crisis Communications Team Contact List (separate document).

Onboarding and training for new Crisis Communications Team members will be conducted by the Crisis Communications Team leadership.

Communication Types

There are three broad categories of communications:

  • UW Alert: A UW Alert is sent via text, email, social media, UW Hotline and the UW Alert blog and potentially UW Outdoor Alert to notify the community of an immediate threat to health and safety. Notifications follow Clery Act guidelines for emergency notifications. For example, active shooter situations and armed robberies, as well as HazMat responses and severe weather incidents that pose a safety risk. These alerts will include instructions for an action to be taken and will be closed out with a message when the threat has been addressed or contained. Throughout these incidents, the blog post will be updated with pertinent information as it becomes available.
  • UW Advisory: A UW Advisory will be sent via the most appropriate platforms (potentially including text, email, social media, UW Hotline and the UW Alert blog) to make the community aware of a significant situation that could disrupt operations but does not pose an immediate threat to health and safety. These could include power outages, phone outages, suspended campus operations and perceived threats which police have determined to be unfounded.
  • UW Alert blog only: In the event of a disruption or incident that could raise concern but is isolated geographically, takes place when few people are likely to be in the area and the CCT determines is not a significant or immediate threat, a post may be issued on the UW Alert blog, as an FYI banner on the UW website and/or a message posted on the UW Hotline.

Notification of Criminal Incident: Notifications of Criminal Incident, which are sent via email in circumstances where there is not an imminent threat, are not considered crisis communications and are not addressed in this plan.

Response

1. Assess the Current Situation

The Crisis Communication Team will acquire information about the incident, the audience and the action the team wants the audience to take. In the event of an imminent threat, the UW Police Department, UW Bothell Campus Safety, or UW Tacoma Campus Safety & Security are authorized to send a life-safety message prior to convening their campus Crisis Communications Team.

2. Determine if a UW Alert or UW Advisory message is needed

Based on the available information, the Crisis Communication Team will determine what, if any, messages should be sent out.

3. Write the message

If a message is needed, it should clearly define the problem, explain what the University or partner agencies are doing about it and explain what we want the UW community to do. Message templates for a variety of scenarios are available for each campus. Messages must comply with Clery Act requirements, FERPA and other UW policies.

4. Identify Intended Audiences

The Crisis Communication Team will determine which audiences need to be informed. It is important to keep in mind that people will seek – and trust – other sources of information (e.g. news reports, social media, rumors and word of mouth) in the absence of official communication. Effective communication will help quell rumors, maintain trust and ensure public safety.

Key audiences include:

  • Students
  • Faculty
  • Staff
  • Parents of students
  • Alumni
  • Neighbors
  • Visitors, including temporary residents (e.g. summer camps)
  • News Media
  • Board of Regents
  • Public officials – Mayor, Legislators, Governor

5. Determine Communications Channels

The Crisis Communications Team will determine which channels will be used to share the message.

Examples may include:

  • UW Alert message via text message, email and social media
  • UW Alert banners on various UW webpages
  • UW Alert blog
  • UW Advisory
  • UW Outdoor Alert system (blue towers with loudspeakers)
  • UW Information (phone) hotline… Or any combination of the above.

Appendix A contains a description of the communication tools, their possible applications in a crisis, and who can operate those tools.

6. Social Media

UW Alert and UW Advisory messages posted on UW social media may be shared via any UW social media account.

UW social media managers should refrain from adding additional information or responding to comments, especially during the initial response to the incident, to ensure accuracy and message coordination. All questions from the media received via social media should be directed to the University Spokesperson or designee.

During a major incident or prolonged crisis, UW’s Crisis Communication Team will designate University communicators responsible for monitoring social media and providing information to the team about questions and concerns shared via social media.

7. Media Relations

The Crisis Communications Team Chair, or their designee, will decide on the best way(s) of contacting the news media and determine if a University spokesperson and on-site media interviews are needed.

Consideration will be given to appropriate media stating locations that can accommodate vehicles such as satellite trucks.

8. Joint Information System/Joint Information Center

When local, state or federal agencies are involved in responding to the crisis, the University will use a Joint Information System (JIS – a coordinated system of sharing information) via a Joint Information Center (JIC – a physical or virtual location) to coordinate communications to ensure accurate and consistent information is shared with the public.

As part of the JIS or JIC, UW’s Crisis Communications Team or designated communicators will work closely with communicators and/or incident commanders from local, state or federal agencies to ensure coordination of messaging. The JIS or JIC will be led by a University Spokesperson or designee. The person serving in this role will be the University’s lead Public Information Officer. Assistant Public Information Officers and other roles will be filled as needed.

The Assistant Vice President of Communications/University Spokesperson may also use a JIS or JIC if the University is experiencing a prolonged or especially complex crisis, even if external partners are not involved, to coordinate University communication and ensure a unified message is shared with University communities.

The UW Emergency Operations Center JIC is located in the Media and Communications Room at the UW’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) located in Suite C-140 of the UW Tower.

9. Approval of Outgoing Information

If the Crisis Communications Team determines a message is needed, the content of the message is drafted by the Crisis Communications Team chair or designee and then approved by the lead agency responding to the crisis or the incident commander for the UW. The message is developed in consultation with other members of the team.

In a Joint Information System or Joint Information Center, final approval for outgoing information is made by the lead Public Information Officer and approved by the Incident Commander (the person responsible for managing the response to the crisis).

10. The End of the Crisis

The Crisis Communications Team will determine when an incident has ended and provide an “All Clear” or closeout message.

11. After-Action Review

The Crisis Communication Team will conduct an After-Action Review (AAR) and/or hotwash debrief after any incident for which the team is activated, regardless of whether a message was sent. The AAR or hotwash is intended to help the CCT learn from every experience and improve efficiency, decision making and overall performance.

Testing, Education and Updating the Plan

1. Testing

Each campus and UW Medicine are responsible for conducting quarterly tests of the UW Alert system and other emergency communications channels. Sending an alert or advisory message for an actual incident via the UW Alert system may substitute for quarterly tests.

2. Education

The University is responsible for sharing information with students, faculty, staff and other key audiences about the UW Alert system, including how to subscribe and update contact information. An annual message will be sent from the Crisis Communications Team Chair to students, faculty and staff about UW Alert and emergency communication.

3. Updating the Plan

This plan will be updated annually, and information included in the appendices will be updated as needed. The Director of Strategic and Crisis Communication will update the plan, which will be reviewed and approved by the Crisis Communications Team. UW-IT will oversee technical updates and improvements to UW’s mass notification system.