The Peoria County Emergency Management Agency [EMA] is reminding residents what outdoor warning sirens mean in the midst of spring storm season.
In a news release, county officials and Peoria County EMA’s Jason Marks outline the different sirens, what they mean and when residents should expect to hear them.
Outdoor warning sirens are intended to alert anyone outdoors of imminent danger. That can mean tornadoes, extreme winds, severe thunderstorms with dangerously large hail and other life-threatening emergencies. The sirens give people outdoors an opportunity to find shelter and tune in to emergency channels through a radio or phone.
County officials say outdoor sirens have two distinct tones for different kinds of emergencies.
A long, steady wail over several minutes, called an alert signal, means there’s an immediate life-threatening emergency like a tornado or extreme wind. Anyone who hears this tone should find shelter.
A tone that fluctuates from high to low is used for national security emergencies. Similarly, anyone who hears the “attack signal” should follow local emergency guidelines.
According to the EMA, when you hear a siren you should seek shelter in a basement, storm shelter, or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Emergency information is available through local weather radio, TV, or emergency apps.
Sirens are not intended to be heard indoors and residents should have a NOAA weather radio on hand, or pay attention to mobile alerts and other notification systems, particularly during storm season.
Peoria County tests its outdoor warning sirens on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
