What is that siren you’re hearing going off in Fort Worth today? Here’s what it’s for
If you’re outside in Fort Worth on Wednesday afternoon getting some lunch or taking a walk, you’ll probably hear an outdoor warning siren go off.
That’s because a test of the city’s outdoor warning system occurs the first Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m. But if you hear sirens while outdoors at any other time, they could be signaling about an actual emergency, requiring you to immediately seek additional information from officials.
“The system provides an audible warning, helping alert Fort Worth residents spending time outside to potential danger,” the city said in a news release.
The Fort Worth fire department’s office of emergency management manages the city’s 155 outdoor warning sirens, which can be activated during various types of emergencies. The individually solar-powered sirens can be sounded as a whole group, a localized group or individually to alert residents about:
- A manmade disaster like a chemical spill
- A state or national disaster declared by the governor or president
- Winds of 70 mph or higher
- Hail that is 1.5 inches in diameter or larger
- A tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service
- A funnel cloud reported by a trained observer
- When needed at large outdoor gatherings such as Texas Motor Speedway, Main Street Art Festival or Mayfest
Because the sirens only warn residents who are outside, residents should have multiple ways of receiving notifications when they are at home or work, like the CodeRED Mobile Alerts app, a battery-operated NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio and local weather apps.
