As part of Indiana's Severe Weather Preparedness Week, IU will take part in a tornado drill Tuesday.
This drill takes place across the state, and IU-Notify alerts will be sent between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to notify IU community members of the drill, according to an IU press release.
Students, staff and faculty can leave their shelters after 15 minutes, as no all-clear will be issued, according to the press release.
The sirens in Monroe County will sound for five minutes at the start of the drill as standard operating procedure, according to a Monroe County Emergency Management press release.
Ken Long, IU Bloomington Director of Emergency Management and Continuity, said this is to simulate an actual tornado warning.
“It’s important for us all because we never know when we hear a siren if it’s a test, or if it’s right outside our door, or if it’s on the other side of the county,” he said.
According to a pre-drill announcement, the IU-Notify test and full-scale drill is part of Operation Stormy Weather, "a university campaign to raise awareness of preparedness and safety procedures during severe weather season." Outdoor warning sirens will also be tested during the drill.
All IU community members are expected to take part in the safety procedures of the drill as if it were a real situation, the announcement states.
Before the drill, community members should find and review building evacuation plans. Severe-weather shelters can be identified with a tornado symbol.
The announcement suggests people make sure others around them are aware of the message and understand what the sirens mean in the United States. They should take note of the time they receive alerts and see if anyone around them needs help in following the procedures.
Those with access or functional needs should take time before the drill to determine the best solution to get to a shelter, the announcement states.
Anyone in the middle of a lab procedure or critical function which cannot be interrupted during this drill should take time to review procedures for seeking shelter and understand they are expected to take shelter in a real tornado warning, according to the announcement.
"It's important to take the time to explore, understand and prepare ourselves for the risk that tornadoes and severe storms pose not only to our campuses, but to our homes as well," said Carlos Garcia, interim university director and IUPUI director of Emergency Management and Continuity, in the IU press release. "Preparedness starts with the individual, so I encourage everyone within the IU family to be a part of this year's drills."
