Today, Wednesday February 1st, the University of Houston Department of Public Safety will be testing the outdoor warning siren component of the University’s Emergency Alert Notification System. Today's siren test will include the testing of a different tone from what has been heard in previous tests. The test will occur at about 1:00 p.m., and will last for less than 20 seconds. The sirens are only intended to be audible outside, and will not be heard inside most buildings. You should continue your regular activities during a system test. You do not need to take any special actions during a test. Please note that the siren test will be cancelled if there are thunderstorms in the area.

The siren would be activated by UHDPS in the event of an emergency that would make it unsafe to be outdoors, such as:

• Severe weather conditions (Tornado warning or other dangerous conditions)
• Major hazardous material incidents
• An armed and hostile individual on campus
• Other conditions that may require an emergency shelter in place action

For frequently asked questions about the outdoor warning siren, please visit http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1093/911831/. In the event of an actual emergency, the PIER notification system will be used in concert with the siren system to disseminate further information to the UH community. Only those community members that have current contact information in PeopleSoft will be able to receive these emergency messages. You can find instructions for updating your cell phone number, email address and other contact information at www.uh.edu/emergency.

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