by KYW's Hadas Kuznits
People on the University of Pennsylvania's campus next month will occasionally what sound like an electronic version of Westminster chimes. Those chimes, and accompanying voice messages, are tests of the the school's new emergency alert system.
Penn will be testing the second phase of its emergency alert system August 18th through 20th.
Maureen Rush (right), vice president of public safety at the university, says the Penn Siren Outdoor System ("Penn SOS") comes two years after the school's installation of its emergency text, voice, and e-mail alerting system:
"That's wonderful for the Penn community. However, for example, you may be covering a story and you're on Locust Walk one day and you see people running and you have no idea why. So we wanted to have a second system that would complement the electronic technology."
Rush says the test sirens will sound like chimes:
"And they're also going to hear people talking to them: 'This is a test of the Penn SOS system.' "
Reasons to activate the system could include dangerous environmental factors or criminal incidents where someone is in a position to harm others.
(File photos)
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