The fire siren is tested on the 1st Monday of every month at 12:15 pm. The siren sounds at noon every day but Sunday. Progressive sirens are Fire Department activations - sirens are not sounded for fire department calls from 10 pm to 7 am.
Funnel Clouds/Tornadoes are indicated by a long steady three minute blast. Tornado sirens are tested bimonthly on the first and third Wednesdays at 12:10 p.m. March through October.
The tornado siren tests are determined by the county. The noon and fire sirens are determined by the municipality/fire department. Outdoor warning sirens are maintained by the local municipalities but activated by the Iowa County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center.
“Get inside, then get information.” when sirens sound. If shelter is not available to you, the Ridgeway Community Center is a public shelter location.
Sirens are just one element in a larger public warning system. No single warning element is effective at all times and in all circumstances. Many tools must be used to make sure that people get proper timely warning to take shelter or other appropriate action dictated by the hazard. Outdoor warning sirens are the tool of choice to warn those people who are outside to seek shelter then information.
There are two basic sounds or tones used by outdoor warning sirens as a national standard in a system established by the Federal Government:
1. Alert is a steady wail tone
2. Attack is a rising and falling wavering tone only to be used in national defense warning.