Maroon Alert: Sharing emergency updates with MSU
During this time of the year, weather becomes more of a factor in our day-to-day lives at Mississippi State University. The Maroon Alert system is how we communicate with the campus community about emergency situations that may arise on campus. Please take a few minutes to read the information below.
Maroon Alert is MSU's emergency communication system.
Maroon Alert is a family of communication outlets to communicate about emergency situations. In most situations the primary means of communication are web, e-mail and sometimes instant messaging.
Typically, the website is used in two ways.
Advisories (non-emergencies) are posted to the MSU website using a blue banner.
Emergencies requiring immediate action are highlighted with a yellow banner. Should the university declare a campus emergency, the yellow banner will appear on top of the MSU website.
Full emergency information can be found at www.emergency.msstate.edu on the MSU website.
Those with smart phones or computers have access to the most up-to-date and real time information that MSU is communicating to campus via the MSU emergency website. There also is a mobile friendly version of the emergency webpage and members of the university community are encouraged to add it as a bookmark in their smartphone browser or mobile device -- http://www.emergency.msstate.edu/mobile.php
Other Maroon Alert communication tools include campus radio station WMSV, local cable channel (MSTV-98), and local media outlets. MSU also will make use of weather sirens and announcements on loudspeakers around campus, as well as the university's official social media sites on Facebook and Twitter.
Please note that text messaging is typically used only if there is imminent danger to campus requiring immediate action.
There are some Maroon Alert terms everyone should know:
-- Seek safety. In a weather-related emergency this typically means to find an indoor space, preferably an interior room or hallway away from windows, or the lowest interior level of a building and seek shelter there. In event of a shooter on campus or gas or chemical leak, this typically means to seek a safe location as far away as possible from the danger or to exit campus on foot if possible.
-- Tornado watch. Conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop, but there has not been an actual sighting. Be alert to changing conditions.
-- Tornado warning. A tornado has been sighted. Take immediate actions for safety.
When you hear a siren, it is imperative to seek shelter in the nearest building and stay alert and tune to either MSU webpage or local news to stay updated about changing conditions.
Do not go to your vehicle during a weather siren. Vehicles do not provide adequate shelter, and roadways need to be kept clear for use by police and emergency responders. Instead, seek shelter on the bottom floor of a building. If possible, choose a basement or interior hallway. Again, if sirens sound, seek shelter until Maroon Alert communications (via e-mail, text, Groupwise Messenger or emergency webpage) indicate it is safe to return to normal activities.
Because weather conditions can change suddenly, sirens may be used more than once during a weather-related emergency. Sirens will never be activated to signal an "all clear." Each time the siren sounds this indicates a new alert and that campus is still in some type of dangerous situation.
For more information about what to do during specific emergencies, see
http://www.emergency.msstate.edu/whattodo.
