Campuswide tornado drill set for Wednesday

UNMC, UNMC Physicians and The Nebraska Medical Center will participate in a test tornado warning on Wednesday.

The test is part of “Severe Weather Week,” which runs today through Friday.

Review family plans This is a good time to review your family emergency plans regarding severe weather. Help in preparing family emergency plans can be found at www.Ready.gov and also at www.redcross.org.

On Wednesday between 10 and 11 a.m., the weather service will issue a “Test Tornado Watch.”

If severe weather actually is in the area on Wednesday, the drills will be held Thursday.

Those receiving the severe weather notification should communicate the information to others in their area. Several methods will be used to communicate the severe weather information including:

• NOAA weather alert radios;
  
• Audible devices on the fire alarm systems (some areas);
  
• Alertcast Emergency Notification System;
  
• Text pagers;
  
• House paging;
  
• Pop-up alerts on campus computers; and
  
• Broadcast media
  
• UNMC Emergency Notification System (E2 Campus).

In addition, Douglas County will sound Civil Defense Warning Sirens. Departments may determine their level of participation, however, at the very minimum they should make sure notification is received and that staff knows what to do and where the safe area is.

Departments also should ensure their safe areas are accessible and available.

All areas participating in the drill are asked to complete an online Severe Weather Report form after the drill.

For more information, contact safety manager John Hauser at 559-7315 or jhauser@unmc.edu.