HONOLULU -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus on Tuesday tested a new emergency alert system.

"This is only a test if this were a real emergency you would be told to evacuate," the alert announced.

The message rang out across the Manoa campus as students headed to class.

Crews equipped 14 of the campus vehicles with public address systems. Tuesday was the first day to test the equipment.

Officials also sent alerts by e-mail, phone voice messages and by text messages.

Genki Kino heard an announcement, but did not know what it was.

"I guess it's good that they're trying to improve our safety, but it didn't really help because I couldn't hear it at all," Kino said.

"I heard the announcer come on say, 'This is just a test,' but we were talking about something else so it didn't really phase us," Jenean Garcia said.

So far, more than 2,000 students signed up for text alerts. The school began sending e-mail alerts a few years ago.

Some students question how effective the developing alert system would be in the case of a real emergency.

"I think it's good to do that, but they need to educate us a little more so we know what to do when they ring the bell, or when they start the system," Malia Ribeiro said.

In a real crisis, the Honolulu Police Department would be on the campus with loudspeakers and more specific directions, UH officials said.

"If it was real emergency they would go to a building tell students to take cover evacuate or whatever was appropriate," Gregg Takayama said.

Plans are under way to install sirens on two to three buildings around campus.