INFORMATIONAL MESSAGE FROM ALERT CAROLINA: Alert Carolina Siren Test – Tuesday, February 11
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
The University will TEST the emergency sirens and text messages on Tuesday, February 11th, between 12 and 1 p. m. We test the sirens each semester to make sure the equipment works.
During the test, anyone outside on or near campus likely will hear the sirens. (The sirens are not designed to be heard inside or while you are in a vehicle.) The sirens will sound an alert tone along with a brief pre-recorded voice message. When testing is complete, a different siren tone and voice message will signal “All clear. Resume regular activities.”
The sirens sound only for a major emergency or an immediate safety or health threat such as:
• An armed and dangerous person on or near campus;
• A major chemical spill or hazard;
• A tornado warning for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area issued by the National Weather Service; or
• A different emergency, as determined by the Department of Public Safety.
The University also sends a text message to cell phone users who registered their numbers in the online campus directory. In an emergency, the University will post safety-related announcements on the Alert Carolina website, alertcarolina.unc.edu, along with updates.
No action is required during the siren test. But we hope you have taken the time to review the poster, “What You Should Do For An Emergency Warning,” posted in all campus classrooms and accessible online.
The sirens are part of the University’s Emergency Notification System and a communications strategy that uses multiple ways to reach students, faculty and staff, as well as visitors, local residents, parents and the public. To support that system, we updated Emergency Notification Protocols that inform the campus community using four types of notifications – Emergency Warning (sirens), Timely Warning, Informational Messages and Adverse Weather Messages.
In a real emergency, we strongly encourage students and employees to use the American Red Cross Safe and Well List to let their parents and families know they are okay in the while keeping cell phone lines open for emergency calls. The Safe and Well list is especially helpful in communicating with family members who are outside the emergency area.
You may also now access a mobile-friendly version of the Alert Carolina website during an emergency at http://m.alertcarolina.unc.edu/
About Informational Messages: The University sends an Informational Message to inform the campus community about a situation that is not an emergency, but is expected to be of significant interest to the campus. An Informational Message is one of three tiers of communication under the University’s revised emergency communications plan. Emergency Warning refers to a siren activation for a significant emergency. And a Timely Warning is issued if there is a continuing danger AND notification will not compromise law enforcement efforts.Sponsored by the UNC Department of Public Safety