"Big Ole " Sounds Off Next Week

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- If you’re near the Western Washington University campus next week you may hear the sound of an old steam whistle.

Western will sound the famous steam whistle, known as “Big Ole,” at 10:45 on the 18th as part of a quarterly drill to test its emergency notification system, known as "Western Alert."

Western will also send out a test notification to all students, faculty and staff through email and text messages, Facebook and Twitter, and through voice messages over the campus fire alarm system.

If this were a real campus alert, the messages would provide important safety information.

Western is also urging people on campus review their personal emergency plan as part of the drill.