Campus-wide tornado drill on March 19
March 11, 2015
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - As part of statewide testing of communication systems during Severe Weather Preparedness Week, Purdue University's All Hazards Outdoor Warning Sirens will be tested and a morning tornado drill conducted on March 19.
The Purdue activities are part of the statewide test of communication systems led by the National Weather Service in conjunction with the Indiana State Police, the state's departments of Homeland Security and Education, Indiana Broadcasters Association, American Red Cross and Amateur Radio Operators.
Two statewide tests, one at 10:15 a.m. and the other at 7:35 p.m. EDT, are scheduled. However, if there is any chance of severe weather anywhere in Indiana that day, the tests will be postponed to March 20.
In conjunction, Purdue's Emergency Preparedness and Planning Office is coordinating a voluntary campus-wide tornado drill during the state's morning drill only. Multiple warning systems will be activated at 10:15 a.m. The systems that will be activated include the All Hazard Outdoor Warning Sirens (intended to warn those outdoors only), text message, Purdue's @purdueemergency Twitter, desktop popup alert, alert beacon activation and the Boiler TV Emergency Alerting System layers of the Purdue Alert notification system.
The All Hazard Outdoor Warning Sirens will sound again at 7:35 p.m. as part of the state's drill, but the other Purdue Alert warning notification layers will not be activated.
Building Deputies and other building leaders are encouraged to take this opportunity to practice their Building Emergency Plans by organizing a shelter-in-place drill. A tornado warning shelter-in-place drill is designed to: ensure building occupants know what to do in an emergency; ensure that there is adequate space in shelter-in-place locations; and test the functionality of weather radios, computers, and other communication devices.
Purdue University is located in the county with the highest number of tornado touchdowns in the state, so even if a tornado warning shelter-in-place drill is not possible, building occupants should take a few minutes to review their Building Emergency Plan, to familiarize themselves with where their building's shelter-in-place locations can be found and to review the Severe Weather Tornadoes and Thunderstorm procedures published by Environmental Health and Public Safety.
Individual consultations are available for those interested in organizing a shelter-in-place drill for their buildings. For questions on the tornado drill or for help organizing a shelter-in-place drill for your building, contact Ron Wright, director of university emergency preparedness and planning, at rdwright@purdue.edu or 765-494-0446.
Additionally, three free tornado awareness workshops will be offer at 9-10 a.m. on April 1, April 8, and April 15 at the Purdue Police Department's TERY Conference Room, 205 S. Martin Jischke Drive. To register, contact Mary Stair at 765-494-1424. Direct questions to Wright or Tom Cooper, tncooper@purdue.edu.
Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu
Source: Ron Wright, rdwright@purdue.edu, 765-494-0446
