December 15, 2008

Media Advisory -- Not for Publication or Broadcast

Southern Illinois University Carbondale will conduct its annual disaster drill on Tuesday, Dec. 16. This will be a “modified functional exercise” that will be limited in scope and will involve a limited number of departments, along with outside agencies. We are notifying you in advance because there will be police radio traffic. Before and after each radio transmission, a telecommunicator will indicate, “This is a drill.” Similar language will be used with other forms of emergency communication, including text messages, Web sites and telephone.

The Illinois Campus Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 requires all universities conduct such drills on an annual basis. SIUC has been holding these drills for at least the past eight years.

Todd Sigler, director of SIUC’s Department of Public Safety, will be available Tuesday afternoon to discuss the drill. His number is 453-3771.

Again, we would appreciate your cooperation in not publishing or airing this information. We are notifying you in advance to avoid any confusion once the emergency communications begin.