CHAPEL HILL -- UNC will test new emergency sirens March 26 with the launch of Alert Carolina, a safety awareness campaign. The test will occur between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Although the university would use a variety of ways to share information in an actual emergency, this test will focus on the emergency sirens. The sirens will only sound during a test or life-threatening emergency such as:

• an armed and dangerous person on or near campus
• a major chemical spill or hazard
• a tornado sighting

The Alert Carolina campaign is designed to educate students, faculty and staff to go inside, close windows or doors, or to take cover immediately if the sirens sounded in a real emergency. The sirens also will broadcast brief public address announcements with similar instructions.

People outside on or near campus may hear the sirens. They are located at 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 next to University buildings and support facilities near the Giles Horney Building off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

In a real emergency, the sirens will sound a second time with a different tone when authorities determine the situation is "all clear" and that the public can resume normal activities. During today's test, UNC police plan to use the "all clear" signal.