The Outdoor Emergency Siren Test that was scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, has been rescheduled for an unknown future date.
The test, which occurs twice a year, on the third Wednesday of September and February, is a safety preparedness test that works in conjunction with the PSU alert system. The test only lasts about five minutes. The alarm is used to notify students of imminent danger on campus, and has the ability to be heard within a one-mile radius. When the alarm sounds, students who signed up for the Emergency Alert Text messaging system should receive a text, as well as an e-mail to their MyPlymouth account detailing the nature of the situation on campus.
The siren system was installed in the summer of 2008, and has never been used in an actual emergency situation. The first test of the alarm occurred on September 17, 2008, and was considered successful, as it could be heard across the campus. Ideally, the siren is the most effective form of emergency communication, as the e-mail system is slowed due to the mass e-mail sent out and not everyone has signed up for the text alert system.
On the day of the test, students received text message notifications that the test had been moved, and PSU NeedToKnow e-mails that said the new test date and time would be distributed soon. The date that will occur is still up in the air. The test was already moved once this semester, scheduled the first time on Wed., Sept. 16, but was moved due to the memorial service for Jena Pothier.
According to Environmental Health and Safety Manager Tammy Hill, the reason the test has been rescheduled was a mechanical malfunction. “We don’t know what happened. We’re waiting for the contractor to come tomorrow and tell us what’s wrong,” said Hill.
The date of the next siren test is also iffy. “We won’t know until we have a definitive answer and any repairs that might be necessary,” Hill said. “We’ll be sure to give the campus plenty of notice again.”
In the meantime, the PSU FYI e-mails that are continually sent out to the student body encourage students to sign up for the PSU alert text messaging system, which not only notifies students in case of an emergency, but when classes are cancelled, when flood watches are enacted, and various other functions.
The siren test will be rescheduled for a later date that is to be determined at this point.