Several readers have asked why sirens went off in Oak Ridge early Friday, January 20.
On Tuesday, Oak Ridge National Laboratory said three sirens at the lab were unintentionally activated for about 45 seconds during the daily alarm test just before 6 a.m. Friday, January 20. Only the sirens on the ORNL site were affected, ORNL spokesperson David Keim said.
The sirens at other DOE sites and within the city were unaffected, but ORNL immediately notified the city and other U.S. Department of Energy sites of the false alarm at the lab, Keim said.
Warning sirens in Oak Ridge are designed to notify members of the public who are within two miles of U.S. Department of Energy sites when there is an emergency that affects areas outside DOE boundaries.
If you live in a potentially affected area, you may be asked to shelter in place or evacuate. The key is to stay tuned to the television, radio, and social media for instructions and the latest information, according to a guide published in March 2014.
See the guide here to learn more.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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