CODE MAROON Emergency Notification System

General FAQs

A: The system will be used to provide official notification of critical emergencies (i.e. situations that pose an imminent, physical threat to the community).

A: When there is no perceived imminent danger. HECM Alert will not be used to send other University messages.

A: For information about campus emergency preparedness, visit the Texas A&M McAllen Emergency Preparedness home page.

A: Charges will depend on your wireless provider and plan. You may be charged a nominal fee (e.g., twenty cents per message) to receive text messages. For those with unlimited text messaging plans, there is no additional charge.

A: Follow the directions communicated in the alert. Emergency updates will be posted at mcallen.tamu.edu/emergency as they become available.

A: All HECM Alert text messages will be sent from number/short code 237233. You may want to save this number in your mobile address book under the name " HECM Alert" for easy identification. HECM Alert emails will automatically be sent to all Texas A&M Gmail accounts ending with "@email.tamu.edu" and Texas A&M Exchange email addresses. Email messages will be sent from http://codemaroon.tamu.edu or mcallen.tamu.edu/emergency to see if an alert was issued.

A: For more information during an emergency, visit mcallen.tamu.edu/emergency.

A: You will typically receive an "All Clear" message from the HECM Alert system. It is also recommended that you monitor other communication outlets like the local news and mcallen.tamu.edu/emergency to stay informed.

A: Once an incident is reported, emergency officials must confirm the facts with the appropriate authorities before they can activate the HECM Alert emergency alert system. Approval to send HECM Alerts is given by the HECM Dean.

Once the HECM Alert system is activated, the delivery process begins. The phone numbers of those registered to receive text message alerts are bundled and sent to an aggregator in groups. The aggregator identifies what carrier each cell number belongs to and sends the text messages to the appropriate cell phone carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc.). This process continues until the aggregator processes all phone number bundles. The carriers deliver the messages to their customers on their own schedule. Some carriers deliver messages faster than others. No technology is 100 percent effective, so HECM Alert uses multiple notification channels in a best effort to notify Texas A&M of an emergency.

A: The time stamp included in the message is the time that the message's wording was approved and prepared for publication. There is a minimal delay between the time the message is approved and the time the message is actually sent, but this is usually no more than a few minutes.

A: A list of emergency training provided by the university is available at https://ehs.tamu.edu/home/training-opportunities/.

A: AppArmor and Twitter automatically convert any links included in the alert messages into a short URL. These links will open a browser page to a Texas A&M website with more information about the alert message.

Enrolling in HECM Alert

A: Texas A&M University students, faculty and staff who have a NetID and password or a Single Sign On (SSO) Identifier and password may register one number to receive text message alerts. To enroll, visit http://codemaroon.tamu.edu, Click on Campus Members, select Texas A&M McAllen, and follow the simple sign-up process. For informational purposes, you will also need to submit an email address. Emergency email alerts will only be sent to Texas A&M Gmail addresses ending with "@email.tamu.edu" and Texas A&M Exchange email addresses. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email and text message within 10 minutes verifying that you have successfully registered. If you do not receive either confirmation message, please see the Troubleshooting section below. Parents, guardians and other non-campus members can sign up for text alerts and RSS messages. Visit HECM Alert's Public Access page to learn how.

A: There is no sign-up process to receive email alerts. HECM Alert automatically sends email alerts to all Texas A&M Email addresses ending with "@email.tamu.edu" and Texas A&M Exchange email addresses. If you use Microsoft Outlook or Novell GroupWise, you can receive alerts in your inbox by subscribing to HECM Alert's RSS feed. Visit HECM Alert's Public Access page to learn how.

A: Parents, family and friends of Texas A&M can receive HECM Alert text message alerts by following the HECM Alert Twitter account, named "TAMUCM_McAllen", registering for text message alerts on our vendor’s subscriber portal, installing the HECM Alert mobile app on an iOS or Android device, or subscribing to the RSS feed. Step-by-step instructions are provided at HECM Alert's Public Access page.

If you would like someone to walk you through setting up Twitter or RSS, please call Help Desk Central at 979.845.8300.

A: Yes. All cell phone networks and carriers are supported by HECM Alert.

A: No, but your text device must be able to accept text messages. If you do not receive the confirmation text message after registering for HECM Alert, please see the Troubleshooting section for further instructions.

A: The fastest opt-in methods are the mobile app, text messaging, and RSS/Twitter. These methods are faster than email. Subscribers are encouraged to install the HECM Alert mobile app and register for text message alerts.

A: It is possible that HECM Alerts text message alerts may be blocked by certain "Do-Not-Call" lists. If you don't receive the text message confirmation when you register on this website, please contact Help Desk Central for assistance.

A: Yes. Your personal information will not be released or sold to any third party.

A: No. HECM Alert enforces a ZERO SPAM policy that prohibits unsolicited messages. Furthermore, our vendor is prohibited from selling the contact information of HECM Alert subscribers to third-party marketers.

A: Texas A&M's goal is to reach as many people on campus as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency. By limiting text message alerts to one number for Texas A&M students, employees, and guests, the messages can be delivered more quickly. To learn more, visit the HECM Alert’s Public Access page.

A: Texas A&M's goal is to reach as many people on campus as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency. By limiting email alerts to official Texas A&M Email addresses, the messages can be sent more quickly. Anyone can receive alerts on their computer by subscribing to HECM Alert's RSS feed or following "TAMUCM_McAllen" on Twitter. To learn how, visit HECM Alert's Public Access page.

HECM Alert Account

A: Yes. To change your contact information:

Visit http://codemaroon.tamu.edu.
Click Campus Members and choose either NetID Login or SSO Login.
Log in with your NetID or Single Sign On (SSO) identifier and password.
Choose the text alerts tab and click Subscribe/Change Settings.
Update your contact information.
Click Save & Continue.
Enter the confirmation code from the confirmation text message you receive.
Click Save & Continue.

You will receive a confirmation email and text message within 10 minutes.

A: To opt out of HECM Alerts text message alerts:

Visit http://codemaroon.tamu.edu.
Click Campus Members and choose either NetID Login or SSO Login.
Log in with your NetID or Single Sign On (SSO) identifier and password.
Select the Text Alerts tab and click Opt Out.
Select the campus or campuses you wish to opt out of, and click Opt Out.
You will receive a confirmation message on your text device notifying that the Opt Out is complete.

If you later decide that you want to receive HECM Alert text message alerts, you will need to register again in the HECM Alert system.

You cannot opt out of HECM Alert email alerts. See “Why can’t I sign up for email alerts?” above.

A: HECM Alert provides multiple notification options. To learn more, visit the Notification Methods page.

A: Once you register to receive text message alerts, your account will exist until you disable it or as long as you are a student or employee at Texas A&M University. Your account will be automatically deleted a short time thereafter. An attempt will be made to notify you before your account expires at the informational email address provided when you registered. To disable your account, see "How do I stop receiving HECM Alerts by text message or email?"above.

A: You are responsible for updating your information in HECM Alert if your contact information changes. To change your contact information, refer to the "Can I change my mobile phone number or informational email address" question above.

A: HECM Alert is a standalone system that requires very little personal information to be effective. The detailed Personal Emergency Contact information is not used as part of the HECM Alert system. If you want HECM Alert notifications sent to your text device, you must register separately at http://codemaroon.tamu.edu.

A: Call Help Desk Central at 979.845.8300.

HECM Alert Tests

A: Yes. Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen may conduct regular testing of the system. Test dates may be announced. The test messages’ content will make it obvious the message is only a test.

As new notification methods become available, additional testing may be needed to measure performance. In these instances, only certain notification methods may be tested, so you may not receive the tests unless you have registered to receive alerts from that notification outlet. You may also receive more than one test message if you registered for multiple notification methods (i.e., you are registered to receive text alerts, you installed the HECM Alert mobile app, and you follow "TAMUCM_McAllen" on Twitter.)

A: A test of the system and its various components provides valuable data on the performance of the system and associated procedures. These tests allow Emergency Management officials to refine and improve various procedures.

A: HECM Alert test messages will always indicate that "This is only a test."

A: If you don't receive the campus-wide test message, please see the Troubleshooting section below.

Troubleshooting For HECM Alert

A: If you do not receive the confirmation text message within 10 minutes of registering, follow the steps below:

Have someone send you a text message from their mobile phone. If this works, proceed to step two. If this does not work, then contact your mobile service provider for assistance with your service, plan or device. Please note that text messages can be blocked if you recently changed carriers or have a delinquent bill with your carrier.
Visit http://codemaroon.tamu.edu and click Campus Members. Click either NetID Login or SSO Login. Log in with your identifier and password. Verify that your mobile phone number was entered correctly in the Text Alerts tab, and then click Save & Continue. If you do not receive the confirmation, then proceed to step three.
It is possible that HECM Alert text alerts may be blocked by certain "Do-Not-Call" lists. If you are still not able to receive a confirmation text message, contact Help Desk Central at 979.845.8300.

A: Visit http://codemaroon.tamu.edu and click Campus Members. Click NetID Login or SSO Login and log in with your identifier and password. Verify that your informational email address was entered correctly. On the Text Alerts tab, click Subscribe/Change Settings. If the email address is incorrect, correct it and click Save & Continue. If you still do not receive a confirmation email, contact Help Desk Central at 979.845.8300.

A: The easiest way to check is to have a colleague or friend attempt to send you a text message, and in return, send them a text message. If either does not work, you should check with your mobile provider to verify whether your plan or service includes text messaging. If you still have questions, contact Help Desk Central at 979.845.8300.

Computer Alerts

A: Yes. Campus members can download the desktop notifier. Refer to the "How do I download and install the Desktop Notifier on my computer or laptop?" question below.

You must have administrative rights for your computer in order to install the Desktop Notifier. To download:

Go to codemaroon.tamu.edu.
Click on Campus Members and log in with your credentials.
Choose the Computer Alerts tab and follow the steps to download.

After downloading the Notifier, click installation instructions for Mac or installation instructions for Windows and follow the step-by-step guide.

A: You must have administrative rights for your computer in order to uninstall Desktop Notifier. Click instructions for uninstalling on Mac or instructions for uninstalling on Windows and follow the step-by-step guide.

A: When the Desktop Notifier is installed and monitoring properly, an icon will be displayed in the system tray of your computer that looks like a triangle with a green circle over it.

If you hover your mouse over the icon, a window should popup and display your alerting system name and status (e.g., “connected”, “connecting”, “disconnected”, etc.). If the icon is not displaying a green circle, then your computer will not receive alerts. For questions, contact Help Desk Central at 979.845.8300.

No. You can only receive computer alerts from one campus. For information about additional HECM Alert Notification Methods available to your campus, visit codemaroon.tamu.edu , select your campus from the menu and click on Notification Methods.

HECM Alert Mobile App

A: The HECM Alert App works for anyone with an Android or iOS device and allows public access to emergency alert notifications and additional safety features.

A: AppArmor provides the campus-wide emergency alert system and the HECM Alert mobile app for Texas A&M HECM. The AppArmor privacy policy is available at: http://apparmor.com/About/Privacy/.

A: The Friend Walk feature works anywhere and allows you to choose anyone to monitor your progress.

A: Yes, the Mobile Blue Light is a digital version of the campus Blue Light emergency phones. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to “Trigger Mobile Blue Light.” Once confirmed, a call will be placed to the 911 call center closest to your location. Please note that it is illegal to call 911 in Texas when it is not an emergency.

A: Step 1 of 2: On the main page of the HECM Alert App, select the “About / Preferences” button and scroll down to select “Notification Settings.”

Your device will receive HECM Alert notifications if:

You see a red button with “Disable Notifications” on the App screen
You have notifications turned on for the HECM Alert App on your device.
Your device has an active data connection (e.g., a Wi-Fi connection or an internet connection provided by your carrier)

The HECM Alert App will not receive HECM Alert notifications if:

You see a white button with “Enable Notification” on the App screen.
You have notification turned off for the HECM Alert App on your device.
You do not have a data or internet connection.

Step 2 of 2: Ensure your device has notifications enabled for the mobile app (see Step 1 of 2 above). On the main page of the HECM Alert App, select the “About / Preferences” button and scroll down to select “Notification Settings.”

At the bottom of the page, find the phrase "Trouble receiving notifications? Tap here to launch our troubleshooter." and tap the phrase:

A browser page will open entitled "Push Notification Troubleshooting".
Click on the button at the bottom of the page entitled "Send Notification to Device". If the mobile app can receive HECM Alerts then the following actions will occur on your device:
1. A message will popup that the notification was sent to the mobile app installed on your device".
2. The mobile app should also receive a push notification from HECM Alert on your device.

If your device does not display the test notification in the mobile app, uninstall the HECM Alert Mobile App and download it again from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Then perform the two steps above to confirm your device will receive the alert notifications from the HECM Alert App.”

A: Starting with Android 11, if you do not interact with your app for a few months, the app will automatically be placed in a hibernation state by the operating system. This is the default behavior of the operating system, and it currently cannot be disabled programmatically by the app.

Most notably, devices running Android 12 or higher will not be able to receive push notifications once the app is put into hibernation. Furthermore, if you interact with the app to remove it from hibernation, the app will continue to be unable to receive push notifications until you explicitly re-enable the notification permission in the app’s settings. To re-enable your app's notification permission, refer to the How do I confirm my mobile device will receive alert notifications from the HECM Alert Mobile App? question above.

A: Starting with iOS 11, Apple introduced a feature that will “offload” unused apps if device storage becomes low. While user data is maintained, the app will not be visible unless the user restores it to their device via the App Store. If an app is offloaded, it may still receive push notifications, but opening the push will direct the user to the App Store as opposed to opening the full content of message within the app.

To re-enable your app's notification permission, refer to the How do I confirm my mobile device will receive alert notifications from the HECM Alert Mobile App? question above.

Code Maroon - Emergency Notification System

HECM Alert — Frequently Asked Questions