MTSU plans to test its tornado sirens on campus and at the Miller Coliseum Complex Monday, March 1, at 11:20 a.m.

The test, conducted by the University Police Department, is once again a brief, routine dry run for the MTSU system. No safety actions are necessary.

If there’s inclement weather in the area at the scheduled test time, however, the test will be canceled.

MTSU notifies the campus and surrounding neighborhoods before each siren test. The university uses a “first Monday” monthly tornado-siren testing schedule to minimize distractions for the campus and its neighbors.

Under the plan, even if a siren test date falls on a university holiday, the department will still conduct the scheduled test.

Members of the campus community can prepare for emergency weather by checking MTSU’s list of recommended shelters at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUTornadoShelters.

The complete siren-testing schedule also is available at http://mtsunews.com/tornado-siren-testing.

Remember: When there’s a weather emergency, all students, faculty and staff automatically receive a Rave alert at their MTSU email addresses.

MTSU community members who also want text and/or voice notifications can use the “click here and log in” link at http://mtsunews.com/weather to begin those alerts.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)

A tornado, later rated by the National Weather Service as an EF4, approaches Marquette, Kansas, on April 14, 2012, a day when several violent tornadoes touched down across Kansas. Middle Tennessee State University tests its tornado siren warning system the first Monday of every month, weather permitting, to be sure it’s ready to alert students, faculty, staff and guests when the NWS issues a tornado warning for the campus. (File photo courtesy of National Weather Service)