Western Alert emergency building annunciation system to get test May 17

Western Washington University plans to test its newest Western Alert emergency communications element, a building annunciation system, on Tuesday, May 17.

The university has installed building annunciation – which can send emergency voice messages to the campus through fire alarm speakers – within fire systems in all academic and administrative buildings, some residence halls, the Wade King Student Recreation Center and the Viking Union.

The system will be tested at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, May 17 with a test voice message repeated several times in buildings as well as some outside speakers at the university tennis courts, the south campus oval at the Communications Facility and at the Old Main lawn.

Amber fire alarm strobes also will flash in the main corridors of academic buildings and bathrooms. No action is required on behalf of the campus community.

Building annunciation is the newest element to the university’s Western Alert emergency notification system, which also includes the capacity to send emergency messages to the campus community via cell phone text message and emails, as well as posting messages on the university homepage and the designated emergency communications page. The Big Ole steam whistle, when sounded, is a signal to look for emergency messages and its use will continue along with building annunciation and other elements of the Western Alert emergency notification system.

A text message is one of the most reliable ways to quickly provide emergency information. Even if users do not regularly text on their cell phones, most phones are capable of receiving text information. Western students, faculty and staff who have not yet registered to receive Western Alerts via text message are asked to update their personal information via the Web4U application. Employees may also call the Human Resources Department at (360) 650-3774 for assistance in signing up.