The University of Pennsylvania is installing more than a dozen sirens on campus as part of an emergency alert system.
The 13 speakers will complement a system that already sends text messages, voicemail and e-mail to students, staff and faculty during campus emergencies.
The sirens will sound a tone for 15 seconds, followed by voice instructions. Penn safety officials say the system will be heard in about 95 percent of the outdoor campus environment.
The volume is not designed to penetrate buildings, but will be audible above normal street noise in surrounding West Philadelphia, officials said.
The Ivy League university announced Monday that it will begin testing the system in mid-August.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
