Emergency Information

Always dial 911 if you have a life-threatening emergency or crime in progress. For non-emergency police assistance, please call 509.359.7676.

Sign Up for EWU Alerts FAQs


Please note: During inclement weather or in the event of a public safety situation on campus, the primary mode of messaging to faculty, staff and students will be via text, phone call, email and a web alert through EagleSafe Alerts .

In addition to the university snow line, 509.359.SNOW (7669), you can receive updates through our main social media channels:

In the event of a campus closure during suspended operations, faculty should communicate with students how classes will be handled. During suspended operations status, classes cannot be held in-person but may still be held online. Students should stay connected with their instructors through Canvas for information regarding classes.

All Cheney and Spokane operations follow the same directives in terms of whether EWU is open/closed; but other locations (such as Bellevue, Everett) follow the direction of their local academic centers.

Only essential personnel should report to campus. For weather events, essential personnel are those that help clear sidewalks and parking lots of snow and ice.

Employees, if you have any questions, please contact your supervisor or assigned Human Resource Associate. Safety is our primary concern, so if you do not feel safe commuting to campus, please work with your supervisor or your faculty.

Also:

EagleSafe Alerts

Here at EWU, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our number one priority. Utilizing the app “Eaglesafe”, the safety of our students is more achievable than ever. EagleSafe allows for specific geographies and demographics to be targeted by the university, enabling a more intimate method of ensuring the well being of students. In addition, the app itself leaves digital breadcrumbs, leaving a step by step on the exact whereabouts of an individual.

More important details:

  • Students, faculty, and staff can manage their EWU Alerts account by visiting https://www.getrave.com/login/ewu.
  • Community members, parents and campus visitors can sign up for SMS alerts by texting EWUALERT to 77295 to receive alerts from Eastern. Text messages are sent on an as-needed basis. You will receive a text confirmation after signing up. To stop receiving alerts, just text STOP to 77295 to cancel or HELP for tech support. (Current students, faculty and staff do not need to use this signup method).
  • While there is no cost for this service, standard text and data rates may apply depending on your provider.
  • The EagleSafe application is now available in the Apple and Google Play
  • For more details about Rave and the EagleSafe app please visit this website for a series of knowledge base articles.

Wildfire Resources

At this time, Eastern Washington University is open and is fully operational. Please see below for the latest updates on local fires; status updates on current EWU operations; shelter, health/safety and support resources; and emergency information resources. Emergency notifications will be sent via our EagleSafe service.

Emergency Management:

Transportation:

EWU Resources:

General:

  • Watch Duty (please note: this app is not provided by an official agency; it collects and publishes updates from various news sources)

Emergency Closures - Frequently Asked Questions:

While Eastern rarely cancels classes, it does not compromise safety when making a decision about school closures because of inclement weather or potential emergency situations. Prior to making a decision on operations, EWU consults with EWU Police and university facilities staff regarding campus safety as well as sidewalk and parking lot conditions. Eastern also relies on information from the Washington State Patrol, the Weather Service, and the City of Cheney when making a decision.

The university tries to make a decision by 6 a.m. on a school day. This means conditions are evaluated throughout the night and early morning hours.

Since a weather or emergency cancellation requires quick response and immediate communication, Eastern utilizes the Rave Mobile Safety system to send real time EagleSafe alerts to the campus community via their mobile phones, email, web and social media.

You can also check the EWU Snow Line at 509.359.SNOW for recorded messages, or visit the university’s website at www.ewu.edu. Regional news media are always informed by an official university spokesperson about emergency situations. Please check your local TV or radio station as well.

Eastern encourages students to communicate with their professor if they can’t get to campus. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to communicate with their supervisors if they also can’t make it to campus.

When operations are suspended for “typical” weather-related events, the following campus services are impacted:

  • Dining Services will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pence Union Market inside the PUB (a power outage could force a reassessment of this schedule based on campus needs).
  • The University Recreation Center (URC) will be open with limited services based on staffing ability.
  • JFK Library will be closed.

Essential personnel are identified as staff who are tasked with specific cleanup or maintenances duties related to a particular weather event or emergency. Certain dining services and facility employees are also required to work (consult with supervisor). For more information, see the EWU policy on Suspended Operations. (When operations are suspended this means the library is also closed, but dining service locations will be open based on available personnel).

When Suspended Operations are in place and classes are canceled on the Cheney campus, all Spokane operations are suspended as well. EWU programs located in other parts of the state, such as Bellevue or Everett, are subject to their own local campus emergency declarations.

Faculty: Please communicate with students how classes will be handled during suspended operations. During suspended operations status, classes cannot be held in-person but may still be held online

Students: Stay connected with your instructors through Canvas for information regarding your classes.

School districts make their decisions based on the many miles of residential and rural routes that school buses navigate each day. In addition to monitoring the main roads, Eastern must consider the student population that lives on or very close to campus when deciding to cancel classes.

Here are some of the important things to think about during the winter months:

  • The City of Cheney kindly asks people to move their cars from residential streets so crews can plow overnight. EWU offers free parking in lot P-12 for this purpose (and year around). More
  • Your EagleCard allows you to ride for free on any Spokane Transit bus, which serves the Cheney and Spokane campuses daily. There is a free park-and-ride in the Jefferson Lot in downtown Spokane under I-90.

Spokane Resources

Campus safety information for students at the EWU Spokane Campus is available at spokane.wsu.edu/alert. EWU will provide updates here and through our message systems as they relate to the operation of EWU programs in the University District.

Spokane Campus Alerts Signup


More Resources

Spokane Emergency Response Video