(SHUTTERSTOCK)
GLASGOW — Outdoor emergency siren systems in Barren County will soon be tested every week in response to recent inclement weather.
The Glasgow-Barren County Emergency Management said sirens normally undergo testing once every month. The change to test once a week comes after recent tornadoes and severe weather in the area.
“It gives us more of an opportunity to stay on top of any mechanical issues if we have a failure or anything like that,” said Deputy Director of Glasgow-Barren County Emergency Management, Marcus Thurman.
A long test will occur every Saturday at 1 p.m., and it will include full activation of the sirens. They’re expected to begin in February.
Tracy Shirley, Director of Glasgow-Barren County Emergency Management, described to the Glasgow City Council Monday testing procedures within the city limits. Those procedures happen countywide.
“We are going to do a test growl everyday countywide at noon,” according to an email from Thurman.
The “growl” means the siren whirls for a fraction of the time it does when its fully activated.
Officials continue to educate the public regarding the outdoor sirens. Many report inactive sirens, but residents come to find they do not hear it within their home. But that’s not the intent.
“That’s why we’ve went into the education on it. It’s not to wake you up in your house unless you’re right on top of it,” Thurman said. “It’s for outdoor warning, not necessarily for the indoor side of it.”
Residents are urged to pay attention when the sirens are activated. Some sirens may not work, and local emergency management personnel want to know. A review is completed when someone reports an issue with a siren.
“The faster we know about it, the faster we can get on top of it,” Thurman said.
An EF-1 tornado destroyed a warning siren in Hiseville on New Year’s Day. Officials were working an insurance claim as of Wednesday afternoon.
Thurman said they hope to replace the Hiseville siren in the next 30 days.
The only other siren officials know is non-operational currently is at Green Valley in east Barren County.
“I’ve got rotation, I just got an audio issue,” Thurman said. “We’re working on getting parts for that.”
Issues with outdoor sirens should be reported to Barren County Emergency Management at (270) 651-4910. Leave a message if there’s no answer, Thurman said.
Safe rooms located across the county are set off by the same system, according to Thurman’s email. Those rooms are unlocked and placed in “Open-Ready” status prior to inclement weather, which means they can be accessed well before severe weather hits.
