Tornado Drill Procedure
Harper College will conduct an annual tornado drill. The drill will simulate communication and safety procedures in the event of a tornado on/near campus. The drill should take approximately ten minutes.
How the Drill Will Work
At the start of the drill you will hear a test message. The test message will say:
“THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS ONLY A DRILL. This is the Harper College Police Department. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for the area. A tornado warning means that a tornado has been sighted on the ground and you should take immediate action to take cover. THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS ONLY A DRILL.”
If you are in a classroom or office during the drill, we recommend that you practice sheltering for your class:
- Determine an appropriate tornado shelter location prior to an emergency. There are
some designated shelter areas posted throughout campus with yellow “Tornado Shelter”
signs. Generally these areas are first floor interior hallways (without windows) and
rest rooms, however classrooms and offices on the first floor that do not have windows
are also good shelter areas. Designated shelter areas are posted on Emergency Maps
in buildings throughout the campus. You may also view maps for each building with
the designated areas to move to during a tornado warning.
https://www.harpercollege.edu/about/police/emergency/pdf/All%20Harper%20Campus%20Tornado%20Map.pdf - Below ground level is the best shelter, however only building A and Z have limited shelter space that can be used.
- Avoid traveling past or taking shelter in spaces with windows.
- Avoid windows, doors and outside walls.
- Go to the center of the room.
- Avoid areas with wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums and M building gymnasium.
- If you are outside, you should immediately seek shelter inside the
nearest building. Do not travel outside to get to another building. - Persons with mobility disabilities should move to an area on the first floor without windows.
- Stay in the shelter area until the ALL CLEAR has been given.
Three minutes after the initial announcement, you will hear a test message on the
building annunciators
followed by a similar announcement on all campus phones. The test message will say:
“This is the Harper College Police Department. This concludes the tornado drill. Had
this been an actual emergency, you would have been given further instructions on what
actions to take. This concludes the tornado drill.”
If you have additional questions or concerns about the tornado drill, please contact Harper Police Chief Claude Casaletto, 847.925.6647