Emergency notification heard in downtown Kingston a planned test by Queen’s University

Test part of planned upgrades to Queen's University emergency notification system

Don’t worry, an emergency siren and warning heard in downtown Kingston Wednesday afternoon was just a test.

Queen’s University conducted a “live test” of its emergency notification system  (ENS) as part of planned upgrades around 12:15 p.m.

During the test chimes could be heard before a pre-recorded message warned to “shelter in place.” The broadcast concluded with sirens.

A notice posted to the school’s website Tuesday warned of the coming test and said it was being held to “help staff assess how well the alert can be heard outdoors in the normal ambient environment.”

“The ENS allows Campus Security and Emergency Services to broadcast sirens and pre-recorded messages to alert the campus community who are outdoors at the time of an emergency,” the notice reads, in part.

Queen’s said its public address system has outdoor speakers installed on poles on top of Humphrey Hall, Chernoff Hall, and Stauffer Library on the main campus, near John Orr Tower on west campus, and on 355 King St. West.

In an actual emergency, Queen’s said the system uses siren signals followed by voice instructions that alert the campus community to the emergency and, if safe to do so, advises to check other communications channels for more information and instructions.