UW–Madison plans Wednesday emergency notification system test

UW–Madison is planning a full-scale test of WiscAlerts, its campus emergency notification system.

The test, to be launched in conjunction with the National Emergency Alert System test, will take place between 12–2 p.m. this Wednesday, Nov. 9.

For the first time, several aspects of the university’s system will be tested simultaneously, including text messaging, email and voice lines, web and social media. Specifically:

—All subscribers who have opted in to receive text messages will receive a message from short code 67283 or 226787 and will begin with “WiscAlert.”

—Campus email users will receive a test email message.

—Campus Centrex phone users will receive a call with a test message at their desk phone.

—A test message will post to @UWMadison and @UWMadisonPolice on Twitter, and facebook.com/UWMadison and facebook.com/UWMadisonPolice.

—A red box test message will appear on the UW–Madison home page.

Campus users do not need to do anything in response to the test. The test message will read as follows:

“WiscAlert: This is a test of the WiscAlert system. In a real emergency, more info would be posted at wisc.edu”

The WiscAlerts system launched in April 2008 and has attracted steady interest and signups from students, faculty and staff, and new students in particular.

Students, faculty and staff who have not yet enrolled in the WiscAlerts text messaging service can do so by logging into the My UW portal, clicking on the Services tab and looking for the WiscAlerts logo. Registration is simple and takes just a few moments.

Campus users of other systems, such as WiscMail and Centrex phone lines, will automatically receive alerts without registration.