The College of William & Mary is scheduled to sound a test of the emergency notification system on Wednesday, according to a release from the college.
The emergency notification system will sound at 12:15 p.m. above the Integrated Science Center, William & Mary Law School on South Henry Street and the School of Education building off Monticello Avenue.
The 120-decibel siren system is designed to inform members of the community to take shelter in the event of a real emergency.
To help residents better recognize the sound of an emergency siren, William & Mary has posted a recording of the siren online.
In most cases, the sounding of the sirens will be combined with a message with information about the emergency, according to the college’s website.
There may be a few occasions of imminent danger where a siren must sound, including if a tornado spotted near campus, shots are fired on campus or there is an explosion on campus.
Those who hear the siren can check for information and instructions on the William & Mary website, where the homepage posts up-to-date emergency information.
Members of the local community can also follow emergency news through the William & Mary News Facebook and Twitter pages as well as the free W&M mobile app.