OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HEAR A SIREN?


If the sirens are sounded:

1. Be alert. A tornado warning siren will consist of a 3-5 minute steady siren blast.

2. Seek shelter immediately.

3. Turn on your radio for further information.


Note: Residents should not call 9-1-1 to find out why sirens are sounding. Only dial 9-1-1 if you need to report an emergency.


Important: The Fire Districts will NOT sound an "all-clear" signal. If the sirens are activated again, it generally is because a new threat or warning has been issued. A secondary activation does not mean it is safe to come out of shelter areas. 


WHY DO WE HAVE OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS?


Outdoor warning sirens are only designed to be heard outside, they are NOT intended to penetrate inside residential and commercial structures. Warning sirens only have an audible footprint of one to two miles, meaning that you have to be within that distance (in any direction) of the siren in order to be able hear it. Keeping that in mind, during the rain and hail that oftentimes accompanies many severe storms, it becomes even harder to hear a siren at a distance. Wind speed and direction also will affect that sound range. 


Outdoor warning sirens exist for one purpose only, to alert people who are outdoors that something dangerous is happening, and that they should go inside. Once inside, people should use a radio or the television to get current and updated information. Ultimately, while outdoor warning sirens can be instrumental in warning citizens who are outdoors about impending danger, residents who are already inside need to depend on other options to stay updated on conditions outside. 

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The Village of Lakemoor houses 5 outdoor warning sirens, which are strategically placed throughout the Village. These sirens form an overlapping

pattern to effectively alert the public to emergencies such as tornadoes, chemical spills, and evacuations.


All sirens provide remote monitoring and computer control from several of the local Fire Department Districts in our area; McHenry, Fox Lake

and Wauconda. Most are either located at sites where they have emergency backup generators or they have battery backup controls so that

sirens can still be activated in the event of a power failure. 


The 5 warning sirens are tested on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m., therefore, if you should be outside and hear the sirens go off on a clear day and it is the first Tuesday of the month, it is only a test.



Mayor Colin McIntyre