EMU emergency alert system malfunctions; no emergency on campus

Posted on Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 9:02 a.m.

Eastern Michigan University's new outdoor emergency warning system malfunctioned this morning, causing a PA system to tell the campus community to evacuate the buildings, campus officials said.

Officials quickly sent word via e-mail, text and radio that no emergency is occurring on campus. The university also posted a message on its website: "There is NO emergency on campus. There is a technical problem with the Eagle Array external speaker system. This problem will be resolved as soon as possible."

EMU spokesman Geoff Larcom said it's unclear what caused the system to incorrectly activate. As of 9 a.m., it was still announcing a generic message to evacuate. Larcom said no one was evacuating because they were able to get word out it was a false alarm, and campus is quiet on Friday mornings.

A message to the campus at 9:10 a.m. said a team of employees from the physical plant and Department of Public Safety was working to resolve the problem.

In an actual emergency, the PA will alert the campus community of emergencies with a tailored message that provides information and direction, Larcom said.

Tags: Eastern Michigan University