FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2008

Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell:  (740) 464-4854
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu

Shawnee State University emergency sirens installed

            As part of continuous emergency preparedness efforts, Shawnee State University has installed an emergency siren alert system on campus, announced Bane Sylvia, director of Human Resources and Security.
            “Campus safety is our number one priority,” Sylvia said. “This new siren/PA system will enhance our ability to quickly alert students, faculty, staff, visitors and our neighbors of an emergency situation. The system is one more layer in our overall emergency response plan.”
            Sylvia explained that two sirens have been installed at Shawnee State, one on the west side of campus on the roof of the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center and one on the east side of campus mounted near the parking area. These sirens will sound an alarm that can be heard potentially within a one-mile radius.
            The sirens are activated automatically by the national weather service during tornado warnings. The siren system also includes an intercom that can be activated by Shawnee State Security to alert the campus of other emergencies.
            “The system’s alarms can be heard throughout the neighboring downtown community,” said Bob Pratt, chief of Security and Emergency Response coordinator at Shawnee State University. “This system will not only serve as an alarm for the campus, but for our community. We want our neighbors to recognize the alarm so they know what it means, and we plan to alert neighbors when we will be testing the system or conducting drills.”
            Pratt explained that the system will be tested on a weekly basis by the National Weather Service, to insure that it is receiving a signal. These tests will be conducted each Wednesday at noon. During the test, the system will send out a short alarm followed by a voice announcement, “This is a test.”
            In an actual emergency, the emergency siren alarm will ring for a longer period of time followed by a voice announcement stating the nature of the emergency. For example, in the event of a tornado warning, the system would send an alarm followed by the voice announcement: “Warning. A tornado warning has been issued for our location. Please take shelter.”
            Kim Carver, director of the Scioto County Emergency Management Agency, said the alert system implemented by SSU will benefit the entire downtown area.
            “Communication is a critical component of emergency response,” she said. “Alerting the campus community as well as the neighboring community of an emergency situation increases safety and our ability to manage a potential situation. Shawnee State has been a good neighbor and this is an example of that.”
            The new siren system will go into use Monday, Oct. 13. Technicians will be testing the system during that week and will then begin weekly testing immediately. For more information about the system, please call the SSU Office of Communications at (740) 351-3810.