Contact: Ken Walters / 412-268-2900 / walters1@andrew.cmu.edu

Event: The National Weather Service will designate Carnegie Mellon University a "StormReady University" in recognition of the procedures established by CMU's Environmental Health & Safety Department to protect individuals and the campus infrastructure during weather emergencies. CMU joins California University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State University as the third university in Pennsylvania to earn the distinction. CMU is the 70th  "StormReady University" in the U.S.

To receive the "StormReady" designation, CMU met six guidelines: a fully staffed communications center capable of issuing weather warnings; four ways to receive weather warnings; at least three ways to monitor local weather conditions; three ways to alert the campus community of severe weather conditions; a plan for building occupants to follow in the event of severe weather; and personnel to attend weather training classes and advanced emergency management training.

In addition, CMU must allow annual inspections of its emergency plans by the National Weather Service, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and state and local emergency responders.

"The StormReady designation affirms Carnegie Mellon University's dedication to protecting all of those in our campus community," said Madelyn Miller, director of Environmental Health & Safety.

For more on CMU's Environmental Health & Safety Department, severe weather procedures and training, go to http://www.cmu.edu/ehs/.

When: 9 a.m., Friday, April 29.  National Weather Service representatives from Pittsburgh, including Warning Coordinator and Meteorologist Fred McMullen, will present the "StormReady" certificate to Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon.

Where: President's Dining Room, 2nd floor, University Center on the CMU campus.
 
###