Naperville’s outdoor warning sirens will be sounding the week of October 10, says the City of Naperville, as they undergo annual maintenance.
Annual Maintenance Oct. 10 through 14
Braniff, the City’s warning siren contractor, will set off each of the City’s 19 siren units individually. The audible portion of the testing will take place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents should not be alarmed if they hear them go off when the weather is calm. The maintenance should be finished by October 14.
Previous Issues With Sirens
Earlier this year, the sirens were the center of some frustration and anger for local residents, when they did not activate for a tornado warning on July 23. That day an EF-0 tornado hit Naperville at 5:40 a.m. The National Weather Service (NWS) did not issue a tornado warning for that particular tornado so the sirens weren’t activated. However just after that tornado hit, the NWS did activate a tornado warning at 5:47, as that same storm moved towards Romeoville. A small part of Naperville was included within that warning, which should have triggered the software that activates Naperville’s outdoor sirens, but did not.
The City says this current maintenance is not related to “the nationwide changes that were made earlier this year by the siren manufacturer” following an investigation into why the sirens didn’t activate during that incident. The siren manufacturer had discovered there was a configuration error when the city’s siren system was set up in April, which caused that July 23 error. That issue has already been corrected. This current round of work is simply annual maintenance.
Sirens Meant To Warn Only Those Outside
As the system is being updated, the City reminds residents that the outdoor alert system is meant to alert those who are outdoors during a storm. Once they sound, anyone outside should seek immediate shelter. The outside sirens are not intended to alert those inside. Instead, anyone who is indoors should rely on weather reports from media outlets, an NOAA Weather Radio, or the National Weather Service website.
Naper Notify For Community Information
The City also has a city alert system called Naper Notify which sends out important emergency and community information, via a phone call, text message, email or smart phone app. That system, however, is not meant for a weather warning system. It is rather a way for the city to notify residents of any hazards or conditions that may affect City services, like road closures or power outages. The City says the best way to get any weather warnings is from the previously listed weather services. Residents can learn more and subscribe on the Naper Notify website.
Naperville News 17’s Kim Pirc reports.
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