Purdue to test emergency alert system Thursday
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University will test its emergency notification system, including sirens, beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 9).
The exercise is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's annual National Emergency Preparedness Month and will be used to ensure that various layers of Purdue Alert are working properly, to test the sirens and to simulate a live situation for practice, said Ron Wright, director of emergency preparedness.
Several activities also will take place in Memorial Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Purdue's Safety and Preparedness Day.
The alert system includes campus-wide e-mailing, text messaging, the Purdue home page, Purdue's Facebook emergency notification group, sirens, and alert systems in the residence halls and on Boiler TV.
The text message will read: "This is the semi-annual TEST of the Purdue emergency warning notification system. In a real emergency, check https://www.purdue.edu for details."
This is only a test, and no action is necessary. If there is inclement weather, the siren test will be canceled.
Those who have not registered to receive emergency text notifications can go to https://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue, click on "Change My Emergency Contact Number," enter your Purdue account name and password, click on "Emergency Contact Information" and enter your cell phone number. Scott Ksander, executive director of information technology networks and security, recommends that Verizon Wireless subscribers update the network information in their cell phones quarterly to help ensure they will receive the text messages. To do so, call *228 ("star" 228) and select option 2, "Update Roaming Capabilities." No action is necessary for other wireless carriers.
For more information on Purdue's Emergency Preparedness programs, see the Emergency Preparedness website at https://www.purdue.edu/emergency_preparedness/
Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu
Source: Ron Wright, 765-494-0446, rdwright@purdue.edu