The outdoor warning sirens are an important component to the University’s Emergency Notification Network (ENN). PLEASE NOTE that the outdoor warning sirens are only on the Coral Gables campus at this time. The ENN siren tone is a sequence of 12 short, 1 second blasts followed by approximately 1-2 seconds of silence. This pattern is repeated for 1 minute. At the same time, a blue strobe visible in some areas will activate. The ENN siren tone is designed to alert those individuals who are outside on the Coral Gables campus, that a critical life safety incident is taking place. The siren may also be audible inside some parts of various buildings on campus.
For the most part, there will be two primary responses to any critical life safety event: (1) shelter in place/ lockdown; (2) evacuate. Since there is only one ENN siren tone, there is no way to know which action should be taken just by hearing the tone. Therefore, it is critical that individuals who hear the tone immediately seek further information. The outdoor warning sirens are just one method of communication used by the ENN system; if you hear the sirens, check your cell phone for a voice or text message, check your email, check the University’s website, call the UM Hurricane Hotline, or ask other people in the immediate area if they received an emergency communication from an official UM/ENN source. All emergency messages will not only give information on what has occurred, but they will given information on specific actions you need to take. It is paramount that the University community recognizes that there is also a Lightening Prediction System installed on the Coral Gables campus that uses the same outdoor warning sirens. The difference is in the sequence and frequency of blasts.
When conditions for a lightning strike exist, the system will give a 15-second continuous siren tone blast. At the same time, an amber strobe visible in some areas will activate. Once the potential for a lighting strike has passed, the system will emit three short 5-second blasts.