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MU to Test Emergency Warning System on Friday

September 24th, 2014

Story Contact: Christian Basi, 573-882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu

COLUMBIA, Mo – University of Missouri officials will conduct a test of its emergency systems at 8:50 a.m., Friday, Sept. 26. This test is part of MU’s ongoing commitment to the safety of its students, faculty, staff and visitors.

“We test our emergency plans and warning systems annually,” said Jack Watring, chief of the MU Police Department. “The entire system, which includes alert beacons, desktop notifications, text messages and social media postings, will be activated.”

During the test, ALERTUS beacons will sound for 10 seconds and flash for three minutes; a test message will be displayed on the beacons. Beacons are located in lecture halls as well as common areas and hallways of most MU campus classroom buildings, Memorial Union and the MU Student Center. The drill also will test the ALERTUS and Blackboard Connect systems, which include:

  • Text message alerts to students, faculty and staff who have elected to receive warnings by text.
  • A mass alert email to all university email accounts.
  • Desktop notification to computer screens that have installed MU’s alert software.
  • Messages posted to MU’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
  • An advisory notice on the MU Alert webpage.

The text message will be:

TEST   TEST   TEST   This is a test of the MU Mass Alert and Warning System.  In an actual emergency more information would be provided.   TEST   TEST   TEST

University officials also have been updating emergency evacuation plans for all buildings on campus.  Each building has established evacuation procedures detailed in the building’s emergency action plan; each building coordinator updates those plans on a regular basis, Watring said. One section, Annex J, in the Emergency Operations Plan addresses evacuation and transportation.

Students, faculty and staff can visit http://mualert.missouri.edu/ for instructions on opting in to receive emergency text message alerts. A summary of MU’s Emergency Operations Plan can be found at: http://mualert.missouri.edu/documents/executive-summary.pdf and emergency procedures can be found at http://ehs.missouri.edu/other/er/

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