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.

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 .

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

  • On X (formerly Twitter): , , and

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 Ҵýis 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:

  • For details about EWU’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, visit the .
  • You can also learn more by reading .
  • Real-time travel alerts for Washington’s roads and mountain passes may be found at .

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 ҴýAlerts account by visiting .
  • Community members, parents and campus visitors can sign up for SMS alerts by texting EWUALERTٴ77295 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 STOPٴ77295 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,  depending on your provider.
  • The EagleSafe application is now available in the Ի
  • For more details about Rave and the EagleSafe app please visit this website for a series of .

Wildfire Resources

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

Emergency Management:

  • 211 –
    • Or text zip code to 898-211 from a mobile phone or tablet
    • for ALERT Spokane and CodeRED notifications
    • Get up-to-date information on wildfires with the #WaWILDFIRE hashtag on X (Twitter) or follow
  • and

Transportation:

  • (road closures and detours)

ҴýResources:

General:

  • (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, Ҵýconsults with ҴýPolice 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 ҴýSnow Line 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 inside the PUB (a power outage could force a reassessment of this schedule based on campus needs).
  • The 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 . (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. Ҵýprograms located in other parts of the state, such as or , are subject to their own local campus emergency declarations.

󲹳ܱٲ: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 kindly asks people to move their cars from residential streets so crews can plow overnight. Ҵýoffers free parking in for this purpose (and year around).
  • Your allows you to ride for free on any 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 ҴýSpokane Campus is available at . Ҵýwill provide updates here and through our message systems as they relate to the operation of Ҵýprograms in the University District.


More Resources

Spokane Emergency Response Video