Alert NIH - A Quick way to Receive Emergency Information

The NIH has instituted an official emergency communications service for the NIH community, AlertNIH, allowing NIH employees and contractors to receive emergency information on NIH issued, as well personal, communication devices on a 24 /7 basis. AlertNIH is a service that allows employees to instantly receive information anywhere, anytime, across most any device, including cell phones, work phones, home phones, and work or personal email accounts. AlertNIH allows the NIH, and the employee’s respective IC, to broadcast messages to all employees and contractors simultaneously in a fast and efficient manner.

There are many benefits to using AlertNIH. Messages are received immediately upon transmission. Employees will be notified of emergency situations which occur on the Bethesda campus and/or in NIH leased facilities, and be provided updates as more information becomes available. Receiving information on personal communications devices is recommended by the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) as it provides another layer of communication redundancy and also would be especially helpful if an incident occurs during non-duty hours, when employees/contractors are less likely to have access to their NIH issued devices. 

During emergencies, AlertNIH messages are automatically disseminated to government supplied communications devices (e.g., work phones, NIH email, and government issued cell phones) with no action required by the employee. However, Privacy Act requirements generally prohibit the NIH from collecting personal contact information. In order for employees and contractors to receive AlertNIH messages on personal devices (home phones, cell phones, home email), they would need to update their profile on the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED). In updating your NED profile, select the listed available devices which you wish to receive emergency messaging. To access your NED profile, login to https://ned.nih.gov/ned/  (NIH Only) and click on "Update My Record" in the left-hand navigational bar. Scroll to the bottom of your NED profile and select "Edit" in the "AlertNIH Notifications" section. This page will allow the employee to opt for having the contact information added to AlertNIH and will link to a second page where the individual’s personal notification devices may be selected.

AlertNIH is hosted by a third party vendor, who will not disclose confidential contact information to third parties. Please contact the DEM to obtain a copy of the privacy policy. AlertNIH is strictly used by NIH and IC staff for official government business. Recipients of AlertNIH messages will only receive emergency notifications relating to incidents that may affect you or your work location that need to be transmitted on a time-sensitive basis. Personal contact information will only be accessible by the employee’s respective IC Emergency Coordinator and their administrative designees, and by NIH emergency management personnel within DEM. Please note, if you transfer to another IC, or leave the NIH, your Administrative Officer will be responsible for either relocating or deleting your NED information, as appropriate.

AlertNIH is administered by the Office of Research Services, Division of Emergency Management (DEM). If you have questions regarding this emergency communication service, please contact the DEM on (301) 496-1985.