Washington University's Emergency Notification System to be tested March 2

Feb. 24, 2009 -- Washington University in St. Louis will test its Emergency Notification System (WUSTL-ENS) at noon Monday, March 2. The test will be held in conjunction with St. Louis County's monthly siren test, which occurs at 11 a.m. on the first Monday of each month.

The WUSTL-ENS test will take place unless there is the potential for severe weather that day or some other emergency is occurring at that time.

For the test, WUSTL-ENS will send text and voice messages to cell phones and e-mails to @wustl.edu addresses.

The university also will notify the community via the emergency Web site (emergency.wustl.edu) and an emergency hotline (935-9000 locally or toll-free 888-234-2863).

WUSTL community members are strongly encouraged to register their cell phone numbers with the university so they can receive emergency text and voice messages on their cells phones. To sign up, visit emergency.wustl.edu.

"Text messaging has proved to be an effective and efficient way to reach members of a university community in a crisis," said Matt Arthur, director of incident communications solutions.

WUSTL installed warning sirens on the roofs of Brookings Hall and Seigle Hall Jan. 5. A third siren will be installed on a building in the South 40 this spring.

For more information about WUSTL-ENS, contact Mark Bagby, university disaster coordinator, at bagbym@wustl.edu.