Texas State University-San Marcos utilizes an Emergency Signboard System to push emergency messages to classrooms and similar gathering areas at both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses.
 

Using this signboard system, immediate short messages can be pushed to classrooms so that the Instructor/Professor/Speaker can see the message and lead the class in taking the appropriate action. Students are expected to follow the directions relayed by the Instructor/Professor/Speaker during an emergency. 
 

The text of emergency messages will vary by the type and location of the situation. All emergency messages will contain the following: “EMERGENCY” and “TXState Alert”. The messages will appear in bright red and contain instructions that will continuously scroll across the display panel until a change in the situation warrants an update. When not displaying an emergency message, the sign boards operate as synchronized digital clocks. 
 

The Police Department Office of Emergency Management controls signboard message delivery and at times the messages may be pushed out prior to officers arriving on the scene. Should anyone have a question as to the validity of a message they should call 245-2805 or “911” and immediately identify that they are in a room that is receiving an emergency signboard message. Not all emergencies require university-wide notification and some messages may be targeted to specific buildings when the emergency is more localized in scope.
 

The emergency sign board system will be tested on a periodic basis, sometimes during a normal class day and sometimes after normal class hours. The Office of Emergency Management will have an all campus email sent at least the day before any testing is to occur. The test messages will CLEARLY identify themselves as tests of the system and will not indicate the existence of an actual emergency.