Politics & Government
18 Tornado Sirens To Be Re-Tested This Week
The sirens to be re-evaluated generated multiple calls in previous tests. Friends on Eureka-Wildwood Facebook shared if they heard local sirens on Monday. Did you hear the one closest to you?
St. Louis County officials announced they will re-test 18 of the county's new tornado sirens during the week of Jan. 9-13. The 1-minute tests will be performed between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
On Monday, Jan. 2, all 185 of the sirens in the new system were tested. Each of the 18 sirens to be tested next week generated multiple calls following either that test or the Labor Day test in 2011. Following both tests, residents reported they were unable to hear the sirens; under the old system, they could hear them.
See previously published Eureka-Wildwood Patch articles for background:
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The sirens recently in question are scattered across St. Louis County. The county's announcement didn't indicate which sirens would be tested. Its website has a map that locates all 185 sirens in the system.
“We need to ensure that the 18 sirens perform as they’re supposed to perform,” said David Barney, director of the county’s Emergency Communications Commission. “Each of the 18 will be individually tested and adjusted accordingly, if necessary.
“However, we want to emphasize that these sirens are designed to be heard outdoors. If residents can’t hear them when they’re in the basement, that doesn’t necessarily mean the siren is malfunctioning,” he said.
Before a siren is activated, “This is only a test,” will be announced from the device about to be tested.
In an actual emergency, the sirens would wail continuously for 3 minutes. Their activation is an alert that a tornado or tornadoes are approaching the region, and residents need to take cover immediately. The exception to this is the first Monday of every month, at 11 a.m., when the sirens are tested for routine maintenance sake.
Barney said they did not publish the list of sirens to be re-evaluated or the schedule, because the workers go out and do what they can do, as their schedule and weather permits.
The testing will start on Jan. 9 and may take three to four days, or it could take six days, he said.
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