UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE
TORNADO
WARNINGS AND ALERT POLICY
ADMINISTRATIVE
POLICY NUMBER 39
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
1. PURPOSE 2
2. DEFINITIONS
2
3. GENERAL OVERVIEW
3
4. SPECIFIC PROCEDURES 3
4.1 TORNADO
WATCH 3
4.1.1 Weekdays 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 3
4.1.2 Weekdays after 4:30 p.m., weekends and
holidays 4
4.2. TORNADO
WARNING 5
5. TORNADO SAFETY TIPS 6
6. TORNADO SHELTER LOCATIONS 6
(Revised
9/29/09)
UNIVERSITY
OF WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE
1.0 PURPOSE
These
procedures have been developed in order to protect the University community
during periods of severe weather that could produce tornadoes. The program also describes the telephone call
system that will be used to provide notification of tornado watches to all
departments and buildings and to provide tornado warning notification to
buildings that lack public address systems.
All University personnel must know what to do when a tornado watch or
tornado warning is issued.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
Tornado Watch: Weather
conditions are favorable for the development of tornados.
Tornado
Warning: Funnel clouds sighted in, or moving
toward
Warning
Siren:
Device used to announce a tornado warning and indicate that people
should seek shelter immediately. During
a tornado warning the siren will sound with a continuous solid tone for three
to five minutes and then turn off. Any
siren activation for less than approximately 3 minutes is not a
tornado warning.
NOAA Weather
Radio: This
life-saving technology broadcasts weather forecasts and travel conditions,
storm warnings, and alerts affecting life and safety on a 24/7 basis - 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. The system is
operated by the National Weather Service which is a division of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts are localized using over 600 special VHF
transmitters in all 50 states. The NOAA
frequencies are in the VHF radio spectrum and must be monitored by special
receivers like the All Hazards/Weather Emergency Alert radios. These broadcasts
can be received up to 40-50 miles from a NOAA transmitter.
Emergency
Notification System (ENS):
The University’ has developed an ENS using several communication
methods. Depending upon the emergency, the UPPS may use automated dialing phone
calls, e-mails, computer pop ups, special web pages, building announcements or
a combination of them to contact the university community. Specific procedures have been prepared for
police dispatch to use to activate the ENS.
3.0 GENERAL OVERVIEW
The
National Weather Service (NWS) monitors severe weather nationwide from its
Tornado
watches and warnings are relayed from the NWS to law enforcement agencies and
local emergency management agencies.
Once University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) receives a watch or
warning it will initiate the ENS and directly notify critical areas such as the
Child Care Center.
During
a tornado watch, UPPS will monitor weather conditions while the university community
(faculty/staff/students/visitors) should be prepared to go to the nearest
tornado shelter (see Appendix A.) In the
event of a tornado warning, all members of the university community must
proceed immediately to the nearest tornado shelter and remain until an all
clear has been announced by UPPS.
Unless
a tornado watch is extended or upgraded to a warning, UPPS will make no further
notifications. If a tornado watch is
extended or upgraded to a warning, UPPS will again initiate the ENS, and directly
notify the campus community with the automated dialing and message system.
When
a tornado warning is issued, the county government will activate the warning
siren located near the Sports and Activities Center (SAC). UPPS dispatch will contact all buildings
except the main complex. A police
officer will make a tornado warning announcement through the emergency
announcement system in the main complex.
All University personnel, students and visitors must go immediately to
the nearest tornado shelter. When a
tornado warning is canceled, UPPS will notify the university community by the
emergency announcement systems and by going directly to tornado shelters and
making an announcement.
4.0 SPECIFIC PROCEDURES
4.1 TORNADO WATCH
The
following procedures have been established when a tornado watch has been
announced.
4.1.1 Weekdays between 7:45 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
a. UPPS-Dispatch
When
a tornado watch is issued, the UPPS dispatcher will send the message below to
all faculty and staff via e-mail using the ENS:
Message:
Alert! A tornado
watch is in effect for
b. Academic and Administrative Units
Once
the emergency message has been initiated by UPPS, academic and administrative
units will continue the notification procedure by contacting the personnel in
their area and advising them a tornado watch has been issued.
c. Faculty and Staff
Faculty
and staff are to notify students or visitors in their areas of the tornado
watch. Faculty and staff should also
listen for the warning siren or tune in to local radio stations, and be
prepared to go to the nearest tornado shelter. (See Appendix A.)
d. Special Consideration for
The
Child Care Center (CCC) has limited shelter and protection from the strong
winds and flying debris created by a tornado or other strong wind event. To provide better storm shelter and when
conditions warrant, CCC occupants will relocate to a designated location within
Tallent Hall. The current designated
location is the UPPS conference room and adjoining UPPS offices and
workspaces. The interview room will be
the assigned change room. Supplies for
care of infant children in the event of a relocation will be kept in the UPPS
conference room.
Relocation
of the CCC occupants will require a considerable effort. As tornado watches are only advisories of the
favorable conditions for formation of tornados and not alerts of actual
impending severe weather, relocations will not commence immediately following
the issuance of a tornado watch.
Instead, the decision to relocate will require diligent monitoring of
current and predicted weather conditions.
With assistance from the UPPS, the Director of the CCC will determine
when predicted weather conditions present a sufficiently significant threat to
warrant relocation. Staff from the UPPS
and the CCC shall be assigned to monitor current and forecasted weather conditions
via Internet weather services, radio and other sources. Any relocation must take place prior to
arrival of conditions that would affect the safety of the relocation effort
such as lighting, heavy rains or high winds.
4.1.2 Weekdays after 10:30 p.m., weekends and holidays.
a. UPPS-Dispatch
When
a tornado watch is issued, the UPPS dispatcher will send the message below to
all faculty and staff via e-mail using the ENS and send the message via phone to
all contacts listed below:
Message:
Alert! A tornado
watch is in effect for
The weekend and evening call
group includes the following areas:
Contact
Location Ext
a. Heating and Chilling Plant 2453
b. Residence Halls on-Duty RA
d. Theater (if open) 2564
e. University House 3198, 3199
f. Food Service (if open) 2601
b. Critical Areas Contacted By University Police
Those
areas notified by University Police will notify any faculty, staff, or visitors
in their areas of the tornado watch, and be prepared to direct them to the
nearest tornado shelter. (See Appendix
A.)
c. Faculty and Staff
Faculty
and staff are to notify students or visitors in their areas of the tornado
watch. Faculty and staff should also
listen for the warning siren or tune in to local radio stations, and be
prepared to go to the nearest tornado shelter. (See Appendix A.)
4.2 TORNADO WARNING
When
a tornado warning is issued the county government will activate the emergency
siren system including the siren located near the SAC. This siren is audible to most of the main
campus. Upon hearing the siren, all
university community shall move quickly and carefully to designated tornado
shelters within their building.
The
siren may not be audible throughout the entire campus or in all levels of the
building and will not be perceivable by the hearing impaired. The following additional procedures shall be
followed to ensure all areas and personnel have been informed of the tornado
warning.
a. UPPS-Dispatch
When
a tornado warning is issued, the UPPS dispatcher will send the message below to
all faculty, staff and students (Campus Phones, faculty/staff and student
mobile phones, e-mail, screen pop ups, etc.) using the ENS:
Message:
Emergency! Tornado Warning issued for
After
activating the ENS, the dispatcher will make an all locations announcement to
the emergency call boxes. The following
announcement shall be made over the call box speakers:
Message:
“This is University Police. A tornado warning is in effect. Please seek shelter immediately. Repeat, a tornado warning is in effect. Seek shelter immediately.”
b. Administration/SAC/Ranger Hall
Any
available person in these areas that has received training will make a public
announcement inside the academic complex, the SAC and Ranger Hall using the
emergency announcement systems to make the tornado warning message below:
Message:
A tornado warning has been issued for Kenosha County until ____(time). Please instruct personnel in your departments or areas to immediately go to the nearest tornado shelter.
c. University Police Officers
Officers
will make a quick check of athletic fields and parking lots advising people to
move indoors. Officers will assist people in finding shelters.
d. Faculty and Staff
Faculty
and staff that have received the emergency message are to notify other faculty
and staff and students, visitors and hearing impaired in their areas of the
tornado warning. Faculty and staff are
to direct and assist students and visitors to the nearest tornado shelter. (See
Appendix A.) All personnel are to remain
in the tornado shelter until notified by University Police that it is safe to
leave.
NOTE:
Do not use elevators to reach lower levels as power may be lost due to the storm. Assist those with mobility impairment to an
interior location away from windows and doors.
5.0 TORNADO SAFETY TIPS
When
you receive word of a tornado warning for your area, you should take immediate
shelter. Seek inside shelter if possible.
If in the open, move away from a tornado's path at a right angle. If there is not time to escape, lie flat in
the nearest depression, such as a ditch or ravine. In buildings with basements, seek refuge near
the basement wall in the most sheltered and deepest below ground part of the basement. Additional
protection is afforded by taking cover under heavy furniture or a
workbench. If there is no basement, seek
out an interior room or closet, away from possible flying glass.
Avoid
hallways with outside entrances at both ends as they can become dangerous
"wind tunnels" if the doors are blown open. It's wise to get down on knees and elbows,
with hands shielding the head.
DESIGNATED TORNADO SHELTERS
FACILITY SHELTER
AREA
Animal
Care/Greenhouse Restroom
(Room 114)
Child
Care Center Tallent
Hall, UPPS Conference Room or along block wall of the Center
Communication
Arts D2
Level
Greenquist
Hall D2
Level
Molinaro
Hall D2
Level
Student
Health and
Sports
and
Facilities
Management First
floor, center of building
Heating/Chilling
Plant D2,
steam tunnel entrance
University
Apartments Apartment
bathrooms, or if safe to do so, go to “A” & “B” apartments of building 4-7.
Ranger
Hall Bathrooms
International
House Under
any sturdy furniture on the lower level
Pike
River Suites Bathrooms
Student
Center D2
Level
Tallent
Hall First
floor center of building, or restrooms
Wyllie Hall D2
Level