Loud Siren TEST in Santa Rosa Beach Thursday 11/6/08

[Kurt]

Walton County officials will test a loud siren at the intersection of County Road 393 and U.S. Highway 98 Thursday, November 6, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Area residents and drivers are advised to ignore the warning system test.

The test will include siren sounds and voice recordings that may be heard by residents and drivers within a wide area of Santa Rosa Beach. ?We are just looking to improve citizen safety,? says Walton County?s Finance Director Bill Imfeld. ?There are a variety of different ways to inform the public of tornados or emergency situations, and this is only one of them we are testing right now.?

There are no plans to purchase the warning system. County officials only want to see how this particular system works and sounds and to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing such a system in the future compared to other alternatives.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I've lived in a city with the warning sirens, and think they are a good way to inform the public of things like tornadoes or hail, especially if you are outside without access to radio or TV alerts.

 

[bluemtnrunner]

Put it at the corner of 98 and 395 and have it broadcast LEFT TURN YIELD TO ON COMING TRAFFIC!!!!

 

[Smiling JOe]

maybe that will also work for 98/283 intersection.

 

[scooterbug44]

I miss having a siren - very bad idea for my safety to depend on my TV or radio being on!

 

[Smiling JOe]

The biggest problem I see with a warning system comes from the testing. Testing is usually conducted once a month, on a set day and time. Let's say a terrorist wanted to target us, and decided to do it on the test day and time. We would go about our business as usual, not knowing that anything was up, unless we were able to log onto SoWal.com.

 

[scooterbug44]

Communities across America have been testing their sirens at noon on the first wednesday of the month for decades - and 9-11 still occurred early on the 2nd tuesday of the month.

 

[ShallowsNole]

A warning siren is serious business, and something that (I think) we should very seriously consider.

But I have to admit that my first reaction to getting a e-mail advising of a loud siren at 393/98 for two hours tomorrow afternoon was to blow Diet Coke out of my nose.

I never, ever would have expected to read that.

 

[Matt J]

I may just have to wander down and witness this. Mainly folks driving off the road when startled by it.

 

[2bohemians]

Is this happening today Haven't heard a thing!