Emergency management personnel from the Y-12 National Security Complex will perform maintenance on an emergency warning siren located on Quincy Avenue in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.
During the maintenance, the siren will sound for short periods to ensure it’s operating once repairs are completed, a press release said.
The Quincy Avenue warning siren is located in the Woodland neighborhood about one block west of Lafayette Drive and north of State Highway 62 (South Illinois Avenue).
The warning sirens are intended to alert the public if there is an emergency involving a potential hazardous material release at Y-12. The sirens are tested on a regular basis.
In September, Y-12 emergency management personnel completed testing of warning sirens located in a two-mile radius of the Y-12 National Security Complex. The problems with the Quincy Avenue siren were identified during the September test.
When maintenance is completed, the Quincy Avenue warning siren will be tested using abbreviated soundings—for a few seconds—that will be audible to people located near the siren, the press release said. There will not be a full sounding of this siren.
“Residents should disregard the abbreviated soundings during the maintenance period and should not take protective actions,” the release said. “The maintenance and testing will be completed by November 16 and will not involve any other warning sirens in the Oak Ridge area.”
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.
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