Public Address Systems in Campus Buildings

For those buildings with public address systems, building chairs will be given keys to the panels to enable them to make announcements to the building occupants and provide specific information to building occupants in the event of an emergency. Building chairs are not authorized to use the PA system for any other purpose or to silence alarms or to reset the alarm panel. Physical Plant Services investigates all building fire alarms.

Building Chairs must review, sign and date the "Access to UWM's PA Systems and Fire Alarm Panels" prior to receiving a key to the Fire Alarm Panel. This signed document will be held by the University Safety and Assurances (USA) department and upon receipt, the USA will issue the key. See: "Access to UWM's PA Systems and Fire Alarm Panels" to download a copy of the document.

The keys are issued to specific individuals and may only be issued to building chairs from the USA department. If a building chair discontinues his or her building chair position, the key(s) must be returned to USA. The new building chair will be issued a key after he/she returns a signed and dated "Access to UWM's PA Systems and Fire Alarm Panel" form.

There are a number of different pubic address systems used on campus:

• Siemens
• Simplex
• ESI
• Notifier

The majority of the buildings have either a Siemens or Simplex system.

The following buildings have Siemens panels in their building:

The instructions for operating the public address system in these buildings is as follows:

Unlock the panel Request access to the panel by pressing the "Request Access"* button Wait a few seconds Press the "All Call" button Wait a few seconds Pick up the microphone, press and hold down the button on the microphone. There will be an audible beep. (At this point the strobe lights in the building will be flashing) Wait until it clears and then you can make your announcement (Refer to prepared text provided by Facilities Services) When you've completed your announcement, hang up the microphone Press the "All Call" button again. This will shut off the strobe lights Close and lock the panel

To view a videoclip overview of the above instructions, please use this link: Instructions for Siemens Panel

*The procedures for using the public address system in Mitchell and Sabin are slightly different. These panels do not have a "Request Access" button. To operate these systems:

Unlock the panel Press the "All Call" button Wait a few seconds Pick up the microphone, press and hold down the button on the microphone. There will be an audible beep. (At this point the strobe lights in the building will be flashing) Wait until it clears and then you can make your announcement (Refer to prepared text provided by Facilities Services) When you've completed your announcement, hang up the microphone Press the "All Call" button again. This will shut off the strobe lights Close and lock the panel

The following buildings are equipped with the Simplex alarm systems:

Cunningham Library Klotsche Kunkle Norris Union

Instructions for operating the public address systems in these buildings is as follows:

Unlock the panel Press the "All Call" button Pick up the microphone and hold down the button. A series of beeps will go over the PA System -- wait until it clears Make your announcement (Refer to prepared text provided by Facilities Services) Replace microphone in holder Hit the "All Call" button again. It will take a couple of seconds to clear Close and lock the panel

For a videoclip overview of these instructions, please use this link: Instructions for Simplex Panel

Instructions for ESI System located in the Fine Arts Complex (Art, Music, Theatre and Lecture Hall):

• Unlock the panel
• Press the "All Page" button. This will allow PA announcements to go to Music, Theatre, Art and Arts Lecture.
• There is a "Ready to Page" button that will light up
• Pick up the microphone and make your announcement
• After the announcement, press "All Page" button
• To announce the "All Clear", push the "All Page" button again. Wait for the "Ready to Page" light
• Pick up the microphone and announce "All Clear"
• Hit the "All Page" button again
• Close and lock the panel

Instructions for "Notifier" System located in Lapham Hall and the School of Business:

You will be using only the bottom panel (next to the microphone) Don't push any of the buttons located on the top two sections:

• Push the “All Call” button once
• Pick up the microphone
• Depress and hold the microphone button
• As you start speaking look at "audio level light" (Light should be green when you’re speaking loudly enough)
  When paging talk loudly enough to cause this LED to illuminate. NOTE: If the audio level LED is allowed to remain off for 30 seconds a system trouble will result.
• When you’re done, press "All Call" button again to clear
• Close and lock the panel

Updated November 8, 2007 by SAK