[Che-student-staff-list] Tornado Drill - Exercise in Forney on Wed, March 27

[Gabriela Nagy]

Dear Faculty, Staff, Research Fellows, Graduate and Undergraduate Students,

On Wednesday, March 27, as part of Indiana's Severe Weather Preparedness Week, the Emergency Preparedness and Planning Department will be coordinating a campus-wide tornado drill. The ChE Safety Committee agreed that this is an excellent opportunity to test our building's 'shelter-in-place' procedures and the response of the building's occupants to simulated severe weather emergency situations. Therefore, it was decided that our School (Forney Biulding) will take part in this voluntary activity.

The exercise is scheduled for March 27, when multiple warning systems will be activated at 10 am. The exercise will last until approximately 10:30 am. The systems that will be activated include the All Hazard Sirens, intended to warn those outdoors only, and the text messaging layer of the Purdue Alert notification system. 

The schedule for this exercise is:
1. At approximately 10:00 AM, the National Weather Service sends a simulated tornado warning to emergency management directors throughout the state.
2. At approximately 10:05 AM, Tippecanoe County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director activates the county outdoor all-hazards siren system.
3. At approximately 10:08 AM, Purdue Dispatch Center sends out a Purdue ALERT text message simulating the tornado warning.
4. Departments that are participating in the drill will immediately implement their shelter in place procedures.
5. At approximately 10:25 AM, Purdue Dispatch Center sends out a Purdue ALERT text message simulating “all clear” for the tornado warning.
6. Building Deputies conduct a short Hot Wash; gather lessons learned.
7. At approximately 10:30 AM, the exercise ends.

Please revise the standard safety procedure in case of a severe weather emergency situation for Forney building; this is detailed below:

- when the 'all hazards' sirens are activated (or you receive the Purdue ALERT text message), stay in the building and follow the signs towards the shelter-in-place location. This is the basement, in the new wing of the building.
- To reach the shelter area, use one of the three staircases: in the FRNY atrium, adjacent to the exit that faces Physics, or adjacent to the exit facing Civil Engineering.
- Do not use the elevators.
- Take your personal belongings if possible, and stay calm.
- Assist those who need help, if possible. 
- Stay in the shelter location until instructed by emergency personnel that it is safe to leave.

This is a voluntary activity for the school, but for the exercise to be a success I urge everyone to take part in it.

Students who have classes at the time of the exercise should follow their instructor's decision on the matter and their instructions.

Please be aware that people from outside the building may come in to shelter in our building when the 'all hazard' sirens are activated; please guide them to the shelter location, if necessary.

I would like to remind you that the activated outdoor all-hazards sirens (shelter-in-place) on campus mean 'dangerous circumstances are occurring outside', not only tornado warnings. These conditions could include hazardous chemicals, an active criminal incident, or severe weather. 

Thank you for your support and cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns about this activity, please contact me.

Sincerely,
Gabriela Nagy

-- 

Gabriela Nagy, PhD  
Industrial Education Director 
ChE Safety Committee Chair
School of Chemical Engineering 
Purdue University 
Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, Room G051 
480 Stadium Mall Drive 
West Lafayette, IN 47 907 
Tel: (765) 496-1710; Fax: (765) 494-0805 
E-mail: nagyg at purdue.edu