Changes in Today’s Outdoor Warning Test

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – The weekly Outdoor Warning Test of sirens, conducted by Sedgwick County Emergency Management (SCEM), will happen a little differently today, as we attempt to validate zones. The test will begin at 11:58:30 and we will activate one zone at a time for a short duration. Following the validation of all zones, we will conduct a proper one-minute test at approximately 12:02.

We have SCEM volunteers staged throughout the county, in almost every city and in every zone, to assist us with providing a timestamp. If you’d like to keep your ear open for us, please mark the time you hear the sirens in your area activate you can let us know what area you’re in and what time they activated. You can email us at Sirens@Sedgwick.gov

 Sedgwick County outdoor warning sirens are normally tested every Monday at Noon except during one of the following conditions:

• Radar shows precipitation in the area.
• If the area is under a severe weather watch. 

Sedgwick County outdoor warning sirens have two sounding modes.

• The Alert Mode is a steady tone used for tornado warning.
• The Attack Mode is a classic rise and fall sound used for air attack warning in times of war.

Outdoor warning sirens are designed to be an early warning device primarily for persons who are outside away from the television or radio. Remember, when The Outdoor Warning Sirens Sound, Take cover, Tune-in to local media, Take action. Emergency Management officials highly recommend citizens keep a NOAA weather alert radio in their homes, preferably in the bedroom, with a tone alert for those times when you are not monitoring public media.