WWU to test Western Alert emergency notification system April 20
As part of a statewide "drop, cover and hold" exercise, Western Washington University will test its Western Alert emergency notification system by sounding the Big Ole steam whistle and sending emergency messages to the campus community at 9:45 a.m. April 20.
The Big Ole whistle is the campus-wide signal to immediately find emergency information. Western provides emergency information through its Western Alert as follows:
- University e-mail
- Cell phone text messages (if you previously subscribed)
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Websites
- The university’s emergency communication website at http://emergency.wwu.edu
- The WWU homepage at http://www.wwu.edu
Western will test all of the above notification methods as part of the Western Alert test April 20.
Text Messages via Cell Phone
Members of the Western community are strongly encouraged to provide their cell phone numbers to Western. A text message is one of the most reliable ways to quickly provide the campus with emergency information. Most phones are capable of receiving text information even if users do not regularly text on their phones.
To subscribe, click on the Web4u link from within myWestern and enter your cell number. Employees also may call the Human Resources Department at (360) 650-3774.
Western will always keep cell phone numbers confidential, as required by federal regulation. Western will use phone numbers only to quickly communicate with the campus community in a real emergency and during carefully identified tests of the emergency system held no more than three times per year.
Drop, Cover and Hold
In the statewide April 20 exercise, the campus community should consider the steam whistle and Western Alert messages reminders of the opportunity to practice drop, cover and hold preparations. The state does this semi-annually to help citizens conquer the instinct to run. During earthquakes, many people’s fight-or-flight instinct urges them to run even when they know they should drop, cover and hold. We learn to counter this instinctual response to run by practicing doing the safe thing.
Plan where you will drop, cover and hold in all the places you spend time – classrooms, offices, walks, gym, buses, etc. For more, check out this information from the Washington state preparedness website.
Preparedness
Are you ready? Please take a few minutes to think about what you would do if this earthquake were real and not an exercise.
The lessons learned in Japan have taught us that personal preparedness is important. Do you have an emergency kit? A 72-hour kit is the minimum needed. You can find contents at the preparedness link below. Small kits are available from the Associated Students Bookstore. Use this opportunity to talk about what you would do with your family and friends. That planning will help keep those you care about safe and will help keep you able to care for those who depend on you.
You could store a pair of shoes under or next to your bed to keep broken glass out of your feet. Cuts from broken glass are a highly frequent injury post earthquake. Also include some protective gloves and an old bicycle helmet or hard hat to keep falling debris from hitting you on the head.
Permanent employees at Western were given copies of the WWU Emergency Response Guide, a flip chart to be posted in work areas. Please review the information. If you don’t have a copy, please call (360) 650-3064 to get one.
Faculty may wish to review the page toward the bottom of this guide called Faculty Information for Classroom. It would be timely to encourage students to take steps towards preparedness and/or hold a brief discussion of drop, cover and hold practice in the classroom setting.
Departments may wish to take this opportunity to discuss their specific emergency issues in conjunction with this exercise. Those conversations could occur either before or after the exercise itself.
More information: