By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The Kent County Emergency Management and the City of Grand Rapids Emergency Management will begin monthly tests of the county’s outdoor warning sirens Friday, April 5, at noon.
According to Kent County Emergency Management Coordinator Lt. Louis Hunt, if members of the public do not hear the siren tests, and believe they should have, they are urged to contact their local township or city office. The tests will continue the first Friday of each month, April through October, at noon.
“The purpose of the outdoor warning sirens is to provide one of many means to alert residents of an imminent hazard and to prompt them to find shelter and seek further information,” Lt. Hunt said in a statement. “These sirens are one facet of a broad system of emergency warning that also includes weather and media apps for smart phones, NOAA radios, and local radio and television alerts.
“It is important to understand that the outdoor warning sirens may not be able to reach the interior of all homes due to distance, improved housing construction and sound deadening features, or the specific location within the home such as a basement,” he said. “Therefore, redundant methods of emergency alert are recommended.”
The testing of the outdoor warning sirens is also an excellent time to discuss plans for severe weather with your family and in your workplace, the county statement advises.
For more information about the Kent County Emergency Management system, visit the department’s website here.
