Sevier County, Tennessee – The Sevier County Emergency Management Agency and the City of Gatlinburg will conduct an Emergency Alert Systems test on all the Outdoor Warning Siren Systems in Sevier County between noon and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4. This test will be conducted to ensure that sirens are appropriately operating and to provide an opportunity for the public to hear the sounds produced by the warning system.
There are 15 different sirens in Sevier County and 9 in Gatlinburg which provide two different types of alerts. Mechanical sirens provide an audible siren only, while modulator units provide an audible siren and verbal instructions.
“Testing the Outdoor Warning Siren System is an opportunity to make sure all the equipment at the 24 locations is in working order, as well as educating the public on what to do in the event of an emergency that requires the activation of these sirens,” said Sevier County Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Ayers.
This test of Sevier County’s Outdoor Warning Siren System coincides with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4.
Sevier County’s Outdoor Warning Siren System is designed to provide public notification of emergencies to individuals who are outside and may not have access to traditional communication devices, such as television, radio, or mobile phones. The October 4 test of the siren will be a full alert activation, including audible siren sounds, for two minutes.
In the event that the October 4 test was a real emergency requiring the use of sirens, individuals should take the following steps:
- Return indoors to turn on a television or radio and tune in to local media outlets.
- Access 1680AM for emergency communication information.
- Visit Sevier County Emergency Management’s Facebook and Twitter Pages.
- Follow instructions provided by the siren and/or local emergency officials.
In addition to this full test, the Outdoor Warning Siren System is tested monthly by playing short audible sounds on the mechanical siren or a blurb of Rocky Top on the modulator sirens. This test occurs at noon on the first Wednesday of each month.
Sevier County Government
Contact: Tyler Basler
Director of Public Affairs & Communications
Phone: (865) 774-3643
Email: tbasler@seviercountytn.gov