DENVER – The city is putting its emergency siren system to the test Wednesday, and officials said it’s likely they’ll be using those sirens more often starting this year.
The Denver Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will conduct the yearly live test at 11 a.m. on May 14. Denverites were warned that the sirens will sound continuously for a total of three minutes as officials evaluate a new remote activation technology they’re putting in place.
“As severe weather patterns continue to shift, our alerting systems must adapt to keep pace," said Matthew Mueller, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management in a news release Monday.
In all, there are 86 sirens spread across the city of Denver – 75 within city limits and 11 at DIA – which help provide widespread coverage during emergencies.
Even though they were originally intended for tornado warnings, the sirens are now used to alert the public to a range of hazards, including severe weather, hazardous materials incidents, terrorism, civil unrest and fires.
That’s why this year the sirens may be used more frequently, including during destructive storms and catastrophic flash floods, not just for tornado warnings.
"By activating sirens for destructive storms and catastrophic flash floods, —not just tornadoes—and pairing those alerts with Wireless Emergency Alerts to mobile devices, we’re strengthening our ability to warn our community quickly and save lives.”
When sirens are activated, the public will also receive a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) on their mobile phones with critical safety information.
When you hear one of the sirens, officials say you should immediately seek shelter and more information about why the sirens are going off in the first place.
Once indoors, tune into local media (TV, radio, mobile devices, etc.) or check social media, primarily X (@DenverOEM), for more information, officials said. You may be directed to take additional actions such as continuing sheltering, evacuating, or avoiding certain areas.
There is no “All Clear” sound from the sirens, they said. Denverites should always seek further information after finding shelter to determine the required actions.
During a real emergency, the sirens will sound for three minutes at a time, officials said Monday. Depending on the type of hazard, the sirens may be repeated multiple times to ensure notification.
Anyone interested in learning more about the alert and warning systems in Denver should visit the Denver OEM website and check out the DenverReady/DenverListo classes.
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