Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A full-scale emergency exercise at the University of North Carolina Wilmington will limit public access to the campus from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, 2010. The community is advised to avoid entering the campus entirely during this time period unless they are attending a planned university event.

Area residents should not be alarmed by the sights and sounds associated with the exercise: emergency response vehicles and helicopters, the role play of emergency situations including weapons, the sounding of the university siren and other related noises such as simulated gunfire. The exercise will revolve around areas near Wagoner and Galloway Halls.

Community members who cannot avoid the UNC Wilmington campus during the exercise should plan to encounter the following changes to regular traffic pattern, parking and facilities:

• Access to the areas between the intersections of Racine Drive/Randall Drive and Walton Drive/Suite Service Loop will be limited
• Reynolds Drive will be closed
• Seahawk Crossing parking deck will be closed to incoming vehicles; exits will be allowed
• Cahill and Cahill Extension Drives will be closed
• Wagoner Hall will be closed
• Parking lots FF (near Wagoner Hall) and T (adjacent to the new Nursing Building) will be closed
• Access to Cameron Hall, the Education Building, Dobo Hall and  surrounding parking lots will be limited
• Access to parking lot S (near the Student Recreation Center) will be limited

Consult the campus map at www.uncw.edu/ba/campus_map.htm for exact locations. The public may encounter additional unspecified closures or detours as the exercise unfolds. The full-scale exercise, aimed at strengthening UNCW’s campus safety practices and preparedness, will include actors and real-time emergency response.

Law enforcement and emergency response agencies other than those of UNCW will be involved in the exercise, including Wilmington Police Dept., Wilmington Fire Dept., New Hanover Regional Medical Center and others. The use of weapons will be simulated during the exercise. Regulated precautions, including a full pre-exercise weapons inspection and cleaning, will be taken to ensure that weapons are not loaded with live ammunition. 

Community members can contact Kevin Madsen at 910.962.7874 or madsenk@uncw.edu with questions. Media will receive more information about opportunities to cover the exercise closer to March 9.

Media Contact:
Joy Davis, Marketing and Communications, 910.632.3903 or davisjc@uncw.edu