Campus alerts system to be tested Tuesday

Madeleine Winer

The university will test the campus alert system tomorrow from 6-6:30 p.m.

During the drill, a lockdown/active threat message, a tornado warning message and an all-clear message will sound across campus, according to a university press release. Between alerts, Kent State Police Services will notify campus that the alerts are to test the university’s mass notification system.

The testing comes with changes to the alert system which include marking some campus office phones with “MNS” button. Jeff Futo, Kent State police officer and emergency and safety specialist, said dispatchers will now be able to activate the campus emergency alert system by simply pressing the button.

These phones will display a written alert message in addition to the recording that play across campus. Futo said the new features will help those who are deaf or hearing impaired during an emergency.