At 1:00pm today, Wednesday February 1st, 2012, an audible test of the University’s Emergency Alert Notification Siren System was performed. The siren system acts as an exterior warning device for emergencies that may require a shelter in place action. In the event of an actual emergency, a message detailing the nature of the emergency would be broadcast in conjunction with the activation of the siren system to give our community guidance as to the nature of the emergency, and information on where to turn for further instructions.

If you have not already updated your contact information to be sure that you receive these communications, you can find instructions at www.uh.edu/emergency.

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.

The 2010 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report as required by Title 20 U.S.C. 1092(f), also known as the "Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act," is now available.

The University of Houston's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report includes:

• Statistical data for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain non-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University of Houston; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. 
• Statistical data for the previous three years concerning fires occurring in residential facilities, fire safety amenities in residential facilities and policies related to fire safety and residential facility evacuation.
• Institutional policies concerning campus security, and beneficial information for the campus community about safety and security on campus.

The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at http://www.uh.edu/police/annualreport.html.

If you would like a printed copy of the report, please send a request to police@uh.edu. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Water service has been restored to all parts on campus following the recent City of Houston water main break. University personnel are checking individual facilities to ensure service is available throughout campus.

Police are seeking the help of University of Houston students to solve the shooting death of 18-year-old Texas Southern University student Joshua McMackle, which occurred April 17, 2010, at a massive street party in the 3700 block of Wheeler near the TSU campus. The incident followed TSU’s annual Spring Fest event.

Investigators believe some UH students who attended the event and may have information that could assist in the investigation.

Anyone who either witnessed the crime or has information about it is urged to call Crime Stoppers or Houston Police Department Homicide at 713-308-3600. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and charging of any suspect in this case.

 For more information, please visit http://www.uh.edu/police/news/McMackle_crimestoppers.pdf

The buildings that will be affected by the power outage today from 12:00PM to 1:00PM are as follows:

• General Services
• Public Broadcasting
• Engineering
• Roy Cullen Building
• Computing Center
• University Center

Please do not use elevators in these buildings during this time as some of them may be temporarily disabled.

At 2:00pm today, Friday June 11th, an audible test of the University’s Emergency Mass Notification Siren System was performed. If you would like to provide information on your experience during this test, please visit www.uh.edu/police/siren_test.html.

The siren system acts as an exterior warning device for emergencies that may require a shelter in place action. In the event of an actual emergency, the siren would be one part of a more extensive and multifaceted alert system to reach community members inside buildings, or even away from campus. The heart of this system is the Public Information Emergency Response system (PIER). Using this system, the University can broadcast important information via email, text message and telephone. A message detailing the nature of the emergency would be broadcast in conjunction with the activation of the siren system to give our community guidance on the nature of the emergency, and information on where to turn for further instructions.

If you have not already updated your contact information to be sure that you receive these communications, you can find instructions at www.uh.edu/emergency.

Due to high school graduation events on campus today that have brought in large numbers of visitors, UHDPS has rescheduled the audible test of the Emergency Mass Notification Siren System, which had been scheduled for today at 2:00pm. The test will be conducted on Friday, June 11th at 2:00pm.

On June 11th, although we will have UHDPS staff monitoring at various locations across campus during the test of the system, we would appreciate your input as well. Upon the completion of the test, you can go to www.uh.edu/police/siren_test.html  to describe your experience with the Siren System.

  The siren will be activated by UHDPS in the event of the following emergencies: 

• Severe weather conditions (Severe storms, tornado warning or other dangerous conditions)
• Active shooter or other acts of terrorism
• Major hazardous material incidents
• Other conditions that may require an emergency shelter in place action

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 U of H community. Only those persons 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.  

June 1^st marks the beginning of the 2010 hurricane season. The NOAA's Climate Prediction Center estimates that this year will be one of the more active seasons; with a 70 percent chance the Atlantic basin will see 14 to 23 named storms before the season ends December 1^st.

Now is the time to make your preparations both at work and at home. The UHDPS Fire Marshal’s Office has prepared a Severe Weather Response Planning Kit that can help you to prepare on-campus workplaces and respond to a weather related emergency. This can be found on the University’s Emergency Information website, www.uh.edu/emergency. For personal preparedness, the Texas Division of Emergency Management has provided a wealth of information on their website - http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/weather_aware_hurricane.htm

As part of the University’s preparations for the hurricane season, we will be testing the Mass Notification Siren System on Friday, June 4^th, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. The siren will sound for 30 seconds.

Although we will have UHDPS staff monitoring at various locations across campus during the test of the system we would appreciate your input as well. Upon the completion of the test, you can go to www.uh.edu/police/siren_test.html  to describe your experience with the Siren System.

The siren will be activated by UHDPS in the event of the following emergencies: 

• Severe weather conditions (Severe storms, tornado warning or other dangerous conditions)
• Active shooter or other acts of terrorism
• Major hazardous material incidents
• Other conditions that may require an emergency shelter in place action

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 U of H community. Only those persons 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.