Emergency management testing warning sirens in Scotts Bluff County this week

Region 22 Emergency Management and Scotts Bluff County Consolidated Communications Center will test the outdoor warning sirens in Gering, Scottsbluff, Terrytown, Lyman, McGrew and Harrisburg on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM. This test will only last for approximately one minute and will include the Western Nebraska Regional Airport and Western Sugar. This is a special non-scheduled test to check for any potential problems in the siren system. In case of inclement weather on the morning of the test, the test will be cancelled for that day. The purpose of these tests are to insure the sirens are in proper working order in case the time comes that they are needed for a real emergency, such as a tornado, damaging straight-line winds, or chemical spill.

Emergency Management and 911 wants to remind the public that outdoor warning sirens are designed for those persons who may be outdoors during a warning to go indoors and tune in to local news television or radio for further information. They are not designed to be heard indoors.

The public is encouraged to have a weather alert radio for indoor alerting, or to download any of the alerting apps available to the public. This would include the Smart 911 App, which goes along with the local Panhandle Alert system. To sign up for Panhandle Alert, visit http://panhandlealert.org/. To sign up for the app, search Smart 911 in the app store for Apple or Android.

There is a siren policy posted on the Emergency Management web page as well as on the 911 Center’s web page. Those websites are http://www.scottsbluffcounty.org/emergency-management/emergency-management.html and http://www.scottsbluffcounty.org/911-communications/911.html.