Inclement Weather and Emergency Procedures

Rain / Umbrellas

Adjust your tour route to spend as much time inside as possible! Unless it is pouring, rain will not halt tours - especially thanks to the power of umbrellas! Umbrellas are located in a bin inside the office of the Welcome Center. Take an umbrella for yourself and provide one more per family. Always collect umbrellas from families at the end of each tour and place them in the designated areas. If umbrellas are wet, place them unwrapped inside the bin so they can dry.

Sirens

If you hear a siren, check your phone. The Purdue emergency notification text message will provide information and recommendations. If members of your tour do not wish to follow directions, please encourage them to do so, but always put your safety first.
 
It’s important to remember Purdue’s exterior warning sirens are tested at 11 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month, except during periods of adverse weather conditions. Let visitors know it’s only a test.

Inclement Weather

We will keep an eye out on the weather for you, but always check the weather in advance of setting out for a tour.
 
If you are on a tour when the weather dramatically worsens... stay inside, especially during heavy rain or lightning. When the weather clears and you feel comfortable, either continue your tour or return to the Admissions Office (if on an Academic Tour) or the Welcome Center (if on a Student Life Tour). Either way, try to end the tour on time! If necessary, omit details or stops that are less important to the tour. Send a message in Slack if you will be significantly delayed (more than 10-15 minutes).
 
If the weather is severe or will very likely become severe... we will initiate Plan B: Student Panel (expand)
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In case of severe weather, we might replace the tour with a student panel Q&A session. In most cases, the student panel will take place in the presentation room, but we will find an alternative room if necessary. Always follow the lead of the moderator, but in general a student panel will likely include:

Introductions

Virtual tour - take them through the stops they would have seen during the Student Life tour

Open questions

Emergencies

If you experience an emergency on your tour, take your group to a safe place and CALL 911. If possible:
1. Stay on the line with the dispatcher.
2. Provide the address of the building involved and your exact location.
3. Provide a thorough description of the incident to ensure that proper resources are dispatched.
4. Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to do so.