How do the Weather Alert Sirens operate within the City of West Des Moines?
LOCATIONS – There are 13 weather alert sirens strategically placed within the city limits, that are designed to alert residents that are Outside, in the event of a tornado warning. b) ACTIVATION – They are activated by the E911 Center when a Tornado has been sited or the Weather Bureau has issued a Tornado Warning for Polk County or Eastern Dallas County. c) OPERATIONS – The sirens are programmed to operate for 1-2 minutes and no additional warnings will be sounded unless additional tornados are sited. There are no “all clear” signals. Residents should tune to their radio or TV stations for advice on when the warning has been lifted. d) TESTING -The sirens are tested on a monthly basis, the first Saturday of the month at noon. e) RESPONSIBLE PARTY – The West Des Moines Fire Department is responsible for their location, maintenance and testing. f) FAILURE TO OPERATE – if you noticed a siren did not activate when it was supposed to, please contact the fire department.
PURPOSE OF WEATHER ALERT SIRENS- to notify people that are outside when severe weather threatens the area. The sirens are NOT designed to actually alert people inside buildings or vehicles. We HIGHLY recommend that citizens invest in weather alert radios for their homes and businesses for your primary means of notificatioon. a) LOCATIONS – There are 14 weather alert sirens strategically placed within the city limits, that are designed to alert residents that are Outside, in the event of a tornado warning. b) ACTIVATION – They are activated by the E911 Center when a Tornado has been sited or the Weather Bureau has issued a Tornado Warning OR winds are predicted to be 70 mpg or greater for Polk County or Eastern Dallas County. c) OPERATIONS – The sirens are programmed to operate for 1-2 minutes and additional warnings may periodically sound until the threat has left our area. There are no “all clear” signals. Residents should tune to their radio or TV stations for advice on when the warn
