DukeALERT Test Scheduled For Thursday

As part of its emergency preparedness plans, Duke will test the DukeALERT mass notification system on Thursday, June 23. Beginning at 10 a.m., outdoor warning sirens will sound and the emergency DukeALERT website will be activated. Shortly afterward, faculty, staff and students will receive a test e-mail, and, if they registered for Duke's text messaging service, they'll get a text message on their mobile device. Duke's information line 684-INFO will also provide a recorded message.Duke will also test the new alert bar that will automatically highlight emergency news on websites across the university.Since this is a functional test of the system, Duke community members do not need to seek shelter or evacuate. Instead, they should take time to understand how they would be notified in the event of a life-threatening emergency like a tornado sighting or active shooter on campus.The test is conducted once during the spring and fall semesters and once during the summer, when the audience is significantly different with various camps and programs on campus.As part of the test, Duke community members will be encouraged to respond to an online survey to assess the effectiveness of various DukeALERT communication methods. The survey will be posted on the DukeALERT website once the test begins. The results will help determine how people were notified, which methods worked best for different groups and whether staff members know their severe weather/emergency conditions service category. The results will also help identify areas for improvement.