Hamilton Co. changes Tornado Siren policy | News

The Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency has adopted a new siren activation policy.

The activation of the sirens during a severe thunderstorm warning during a tornado watch has been dropped.

The sirens will be activated when a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service for Hamilton County. When a tornado warning is issued, a steady tone will be broadcast out.

Upon confirmation of an actual sighting of a tornado with a public safety official from the jurisdiction making the report, the warning sirens will be activated on a county-wide basis using the steady tone.

Sirens may also be activated at the request of the incident commander during a hazardous material release. The siren activation should be accompanied by and Emergency Alert System (EAS) activation, which can only be authorized by the Sheriff or the Emergency Management Director.

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