The University of Connecticut will be testing its emergency systems at 12:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28 on all campuses.
According to Mike Enright, the university’s deputy spokesperson, this is a standard test that occurs within the first few weeks of each semester. The last alert went out last week, on Monday, Jan. 20, to notify the UConn community of a delayed opening due to winter weather.
As part of the test, an email notification will be sent to all UConn students, faculty and staff, according to a Student Daily Digest post. The university will also post on its Facebook and X (Twitter) accounts.
The alert will also appear as a text message for cell phone numbers that have been registered with the UConnALERT system. According to the UConnALERT website, students with contact information in the Student Administration System are automatically enrolled to receive notifications. Though all UConn-affiliated email addresses are also automatically enrolled, faculty and staff should register additional contact information, such as cell phone numbers, on the UConnALERT website.
As in past semesters, outdoor sirens will sound only on the Storrs campus. According to the university’s emergency management website, the use of sirens for alerts began in October 2017, consisting of “a loud, waveform tone to alert anyone in hearing distance that an incident is occurring that presents an immediate danger to health and safety.”
Anyone can check the status and updates regarding emergency alerts at Storrs, regional campuses, UConn Health and UConn School of Law by visiting alert.uconn.edu. Community members can also call the university’s 24-hour hotline at 860-486-3768 for operating status and emergency closing information.
Delayed openings, closings and cancellations due to winter weather-related emergencies will be announced on the UConn Health website for the UConn Health campus and on the UConnALERT website for all other campuses.
According to the university’s emergency closing policy, notifications will be sent out “as quickly as possible,” and for overnight storms the university attempts to alert the community by 5 a.m. However, in the case that “conditions change rapidly… [the university] may need to adjust decisions about class schedules and business operations on short notice,” the policy states.
When a cancellation occurs in the event of severe weather, the university’s public safety, residential and dining services, health services, animal care and facility maintenance must continue without interruption, according to the policy. Decisions regarding campus transportation are made on a case-by-case basis, and units that sponsor activities, including the Jorgensen Center and UConn Athletics, make decisions independently.
“We encourage everyone to be familiar with UConn’s emergency communications procedures by visiting alert.uconn.edu,” Enright wrote in an email. “There you can find a lot of useful information that will help you prepare for any kind of emergencies or weather issues that might arise.”