VCU will conduct a test of the VCU Alert system on Sept. 3

By Jake Burns
VCU Police

Virginia Commonwealth University will conduct a full test of the emergency alert system at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 3. This will include activation of several safety mechanisms:

• Outdoor sirens on the Monroe Park Campus, MCV Campus and at VCU Police headquarters (224 E. Broad St.).
• Alertus boxes located inside residence halls, classrooms and high-volume areas in academic buildings.
• VCU Alert text messages before, during and after the test.

Testing of VCU full alert system will include a one-minute siren activation, along with text messages, Alertus boxes, mass email, digital signs, desktop alerts, the LiveSafe app, the VCU Mobile app and VCU Alert website information - all part of a multichannel system for communicating emergency information to the university and the surrounding community. VCU Health team members will receive a test email and text message. (To learn about how, and when, police issue alerts, watch the VCU Alert system video.)

Ten minutes prior to the start of the test, VCU Alert emergency text and email subscribers will receive a message indicating that testing begins at noon; they will also receive a second text message at noon to signify the start of the test. VCU Police will send out additional messages once the lockdown and alert system testing has concluded.

Community members can visit the VCU Alert webpage to familiarize themselves with the types of alerting technology deployed to notify the community in the event of an emergency.

VCU Police never activate the emergency alert system unless it has been confirmed that there is a serious, active threat to the community.

The following list contains more information about VCU's key alerting technologies:

Outdoor sirens: Sirens on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses, and at VCU Police headquarters, could be activated to signal that an immediate, life-threatening emergency has occurred or may be imminent. The purpose of the siren is to alert people outside buildings that there is an active threat to their safety. If you hear a siren in a real emergency: Emergency text and email messages, Alertus boxes, digital signs, desktop alerts, the LiveSafe app, the VCU Mobile app, VCU's Facebook page and the VCU Alert website will notify you about the type of emergency that is occurring and the actions you should take immediately.

Text messages: These messages will notify VCU Alert emergency text subscribers about the type of emergency that is occurring and the actions you should take immediately. VCU faculty, staff and students and VCU Health employees are automatically subscribed for VCU Alert text messages. Community members may visit alert.vcu.edu/signup/ to subscribe.

Alertus boxes: These devices are in classrooms, residence halls and other high-traffic areas throughout campus. They are designed to provide an auditory and visual alert when a threat has occurred or is imminent. Much like text messages, information would scroll on the screen during an emergency.

Mass email: VCU Alert text message subscribers may also subscribe to receive the same emergency alert messages via email. VCU Health team members are automatically enrolled in VCU Alert emergency emails. (Following certain types of incidents, those with VCU and VCU Health email addresses will automatically receive a VCU Alert email with additional information.)

Digital signage: Digital displays are located throughout campus with a particular focus in high-traffic areas. These signs would display emergency alerting information.

Desktop alerts: The majority of VCU-supported computers provide full-screen notifications on workstations in offices, laboratories, classrooms and study spaces. These messages would display emergency alerting information.

LiveSafe & VCU Mobile notifications: All VCU LiveSafe and VCU Mobile users would receive a "push" message through the VCU LiveSafe app that would include emergency alerting information.

During emergencies, community members can call 804-828-1234 and submit information via the LiveSafe app. In nonemergency situations, they can call VCU's Emergency Communications Center at 804-828-1196.