UNC's Department of Public Safety will test a newly installed emergency alert system siren Dec. 19 between noon and 1 p.m.

The siren is designed to be used to sound an alarm and broadcast instructions about what to do during a life-threatening situation such as an armed and dangerous person in the area, a major chemical spill or hazard, or a tornado.

During today's test, the siren will sound for a brief period. Siren locations are at the Hinton James Residence Hall off Manning Drive; the Gary R. Tomkins Chilled Water Operations Center behind the Dogwood Parking Deck; Winston Residence Hall at the corner of Raleigh Street and South Road; and at university buildings off Airport Drive across Martin Luther King Boulevard from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA.

To learn more about the UNC emergency alert system siren and see photos, go to universityrelations.unc.edu/alert/sirenfacts.php.