by Pete Schulte, updated by Sean Hull
Editor-in-Chief
pschult6@jccc.edu
According to Police Chief Gregory Russell, the false tornado siren that sounded throughout campus shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday was due to simple user error. The alarm caused much confusion given the mostly clear sky and nearly 50-degree January weather.
A new employee inadvertently pressed the button to sound the alarm while attempting to initiate a systems check. The buttons for a system check and to sound the alarm are located next to each other.
“Because it was a sensitive touch screen one button instead of pushing the button to check the system, the one with the tornado warning was inadvertently pushed. If was more manual it wouldn’t have happened,” said Police Chief Gregory Russell.
The college issued an apology in an email distributed yesterday.
The weather is forecast to be 50 degrees and sunny for the coming weekend.