From WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
The key to reducing injury and death in any type of disaster is the receipt of early notification and responding appropriately. With today’s technology, we have a multiple ways to get emergency notifications. The key is to find one (or more) that works for you and your family.
Outdoor Warning Sirens
In Wood County, each community is responsible for the outdoor warning sirens in their jurisdiction. The community chooses the location, quantity, and are wholly responsible for the purchase of and subsequent siren maintenance. The sirens in Wood County (except for the City of Perrysburg who activate their own sirens) are activated by the Wood County Sheriff’s Office. The county is divided up into three (3) zones, north central and south. The outdoor warning sirens are activated in the zone of the impact and neighboring zone(s). As an example, if there were a tornado warning in southern Wood County, the south and central zone would be activated. If the northern zone was the area impacted, the north and central would be activated. If the central portion was impacted, both north and south would be activated along with central.
Additionally, there is no national or state standard to activate outdoor warning sirens. In Wood County, it is done when a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service and/or when a tornado is witnessed by a trained spotter/first responder. Compare that policy with Vinton County, who activates sirens for a tornado watch and then sounds the sirens again should a warning be issued. Some counties do not even have outdoor warning sirens. We share this information so you are mindful that relying on outdoor warning sirens as a primary method of receiving tornado warnings can be dangerous and inconsistent.
Outdoor warning sirens are designed to be heard only outdoors, not inside a structure. With buildings today being well insulated and air conditioned, it can be almost impossible to hear them inside. Factors such as wind, traffic and other noise impact the ability to hear the sirens. Your proximity to the siren also plays into this, and sometimes radio interference can cause the sirens not to sound. As mentioned before, local jurisdictions are responsible for their own siren maintenance. If sirens are not thoroughly maintained, they may not sound.
It is important to remember, these are outdoor warning sirens and not tornado sirens. These sirens can be used for any community emergency. In many counties with nuclear power plants, these sirens can be used to alert residents of an incident. If you hear an outdoor warning siren, you should go inside immediately and seek more information via local media outlets and official sources such as National Weather Service.
For more information on severe weather visit the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness site at: https://weathersafety.ohio.gov/ and FEMA’s Ready.gov site at: https://www.ready.gov/
