LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — On Sunday night, Lake County emergency outdoor sirens were activated to alert residents of a possible tornado. The alert seemed to cause some confusion about what the sirens were for and how they work.
In response, in a news release Monday, Lake County officials provided information to explain the emergency alert outdoor siren system. Here's what you need to know:
- Lake County is covered by sirens.
- The sirens are designed to be heard by those who are outside and away from other alerting sources, like their cell phone or television.
- The sirens may be used to alert citizens of a variety of emergency situations, such as:
- Chemical emergencies.
- Natural and man-made disasters.
- A breach in national security.
- Once the siren is heard, citizens who are outside should go inside and find out more information as to the reason for the siren.
- The sirens are tested quarterly at 11 a.m. on the second Wednesday of Jan., April, July and Oct.
- The test is a single three-minute siren.
- In the case of an emergency, sirens will be three minutes long and will be heard three times.
- If you hear an emergency siren, quickly and calmly follow these directions:
- Go indoors and close your windows and doors.
- DO NOT call 911 for more information.
- Get more information from local emergency stations and broadcasts.
As a reminder, call 911 only in the case of an emergency. Calls to 911 that are solely for information may cause a delay in first responders getting to actual emergencies.
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