Oak Ridge, Tenn. -- During the week of October 10, Y-12 Emergency Management personnel will perform maintenance and testing of warning sirens located in a two mile radius of the Y-12 National Security Complex.
The warning sirens are intended to alert the public in the unlikely event of an emergency involving a potential hazardous material release at Y-12.
The testing during October 10-14 will involve abbreviated soundings of the sirens--for a few seconds--that will be audible to people located nearby the sirens, but there will not be a full sounding of the sirens. Residents should disregard the abbreviated soundings during the maintenance period and should not take protective actions. The maintenance and testing will be completed by October 14. The testing will not involve the warning sirens located in the vicinity of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the East Tennessee Technology Park.
When activated during an actual emergency a steady wailing sound will occur for three to five minutes. Upon hearing the full sounding of the warning sirens, people should immediately go indoors or into a vehicle and tune to a local radio or television Emergency Alert System (EAS) station for specific instructions. Also, the sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of each month between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
More information regarding the Y-12 warning sirens and what to do in the event of an emergency is located at http://www.y12.doe.gov/security/emergency-public-information.