Public SafetyFriday, November 6
Kent County's sirens will sound at noon today as year-round testing begins
The Good Day Grand Rapids team
If you hear sirens at noon today, relax: it's a test. Kent County and Grand Rapids are moving to year-round testing as a countywide project to modernize the outdoor warning system wraps up. Testing begins Friday, Nov. 6, and tests will run at noon on the first Friday of every month.
Siren tests now run all year
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Test time | Noon, first Friday of each month |
| Season | Year-round; was April through October |
| Backup | County and city can trigger each other's |
| Bad weather | Tests postponed or canceled |
Sources: WOODTV.com, WZZM13.com
The upgraded system lets the county activate sirens more precisely, targeting smaller areas and changing which ones sound as dangerous weather evolves. That means people miles from a hazard may no longer hear repeated activations.
“As a warning moves or changes, the system can adjust which upgraded sirens are activated.”
1 mileradius around a National Weather Service threat area where sirens will activate
The city said sirens within 1 mile of a threat area identified by the National Weather Service will be activated.
Source: WOODTV.com
- Today's test: noon, Fri., Nov. 6
- No "all clear" siren: seek shelter, look for updates
Sources: WOODTV.com, WZZM13.com