The WSU Office of Emergency Management will be conducting the spring semester test of the WSU Alert system on the Pullman campus Tuesday, March 5 at 11:45 a.m. Faculty, staff and students associated with the Pullman campus who have signed up for emergency notifications will receive text messages, phone calls, emails, and desktop alerts on select computers which will be clearly identified as a test. This test will include the campus outdoor warning sirens, which are designed to warn people on campus to take shelter and seek further information from other WSU Alert resources such as alert.wsu.edu. WSU Pullman will also be testing electronic door locking capabilities with a 15 minute door locking test beginning at 11:45 a.m. This is not a lockdown drill, but will be a full activation of the lockdown function, and may take some time to fully initiate. Electronic doors will lock completely but if individuals typically have card access, entry will still be allowed with card use during the duration of the test.  Interior and exterior doors will unlock at noon. Please note- people will not be locked inside buildings and if you need to exit a building, you may still do so at any time.

During the test, please consider the actions you might take in a real emergency. Look for areas in which you might shelter in place and be aware of exits around you. This is a great time to discuss emergency procedures in class or with your department. During a real event, WSU will activate appropriate components of the system to alert people that they should be Aware of the situation, Assess their individual circumstances, and Act to take appropriate safety precautions.

Washington State University places the safety and security of its students, employees, and visitors as its highest priority. WSU has developed the WSU Alert System to disseminate official information via email, text messages, telephone, loudspeakers, Alert Website, and other means to notify the campus population of emergencies or threatening situations.

Your consideration, cooperation and patience of students, faculty and staff during the test is greatly appreciated. More information about the March 5 test is available online at https://oem.wsu.edu/resources/semester-test-faqs/. Questions can be directed to the WSU Office of Emergency Management at emergencymanagement@wsu.edu. All WSU students, staff and faculty can subscribe to WSU Alerts. Visit myWSU and register/update your emergency contact information.