Purdue all-hazards outdoor sirens test and evacuation drill scheduled for incoming students during Boiler Gold Rush

The all-hazards outdoor emergency warning sirens will be tested on Aug. 17 as part of Boiler Gold Rush (BGR), the weeklong orientation program for incoming students. Students will also conduct an evacuation drill to practice how to properly respond in the event of an emergency.

Purdue’s warning sirens will be activated shortly before 11 a.m. The test will help students know what to listen for and what to do during a potential campus emergency. In an actual emergency, the sirens mean to immediately seek shelter (shelter in place) in the nearest building.

“Our emergency plan is simple,” said Jefferson Howells, director of Emergency Preparedness and Planning. “If you are outside and hear an all-hazards siren, go inside the nearest building. If you are inside and hear a fire alarm, go outside. Each major building has a building emergency plan to identify the shelter-in-place locations and the evacuation route to outside.”

The new students will also participate in an evacuation drill during BGR. Students will be guided to safely evacuate Elliott Hall of Music and several other buildings. 

These drills will help inform incoming students of PurdueALERT, the university’s emergency warning notification system. As part of PurdueALERT, notifications may also be sent through text messages, Twitter (@purdueemergency), digital signs on campus, desktop pop-up alerts, Alertus beacons in classrooms, email, BoilerTV and local media. The Campus Emergency Status webpage will also be updated. All incoming students and others who are new to campus are encouraged to sign up for emergency text message notifications.

Emergency Preparedness and Planning is part of Administrative Operations. The organization supports the university by providing safe, reliable and transformative services. Providing important emergency preparedness resources for the campus community, and introducing those resources to new students, is just one of the ways the organization helps power Purdue.

More information is available on the Emergency Preparedness and Planning website.