CITY OF SAN MARCOS
Beginning Aug. 1, the city of San Marcos anticipates all 14 of its outdoor warning sirens will be fully operational. The sirens are part of the Outdoor Warning System and are designed to notify the community of a threat to public safety, including severe weather or a hazardous incident.
First installed in 2011, the warning sirens required maintenance and upgrades that took several months to complete. A final test of the system is scheduled for Aug. 1. Regular “growl testing” will follow on the first Saturday of each month at 12 p.m. to ensure that the sirens are functioning properly. During the testing, residents may hear a low growling noise emitted from the sirens. In the event of inclement weather, testing will be rescheduled.
Once the Outdoor Warning System is operational, the sirens will omit tones to indicate that an imminent threat is detected, either automatically through the National Weather Service or manually as determined by emergency management personnel. Each tone pattern is assigned to a different emergency category, including:
• Tornado warning: single pitch that is a long and steady tone and last for three minutes.
• Wildland fire: alternates between high and low tones lasting for three minutes.
• Public safety threat: wave-like pitch that will change in tone every 16 seconds for a total of three minutes Each category and its assigned sound are available for review at sanmarcostx. gov/OutdoorWarningSystem. Once the sirens sound, individuals who are outside are urged to seek shelter.
“The outdoor warning sirens are an important public safety tool,” Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Reese Martin said. “The San Marcos community has experienced severe flooding and other emergencies. Seconds count in an emergency, and the upgrades to this system will allow us to ensure everyone is notified as soon as possible.”
The city of San Marcos contracted with American Signal to complete the necessary repairs and restore functionality to the system, which provides residents and visitors with reliable mass notifications and early warnings to enhance community safety.
“Everyone can take an active role in being prepared and staying safe,” Martin said. “The Outdoor Warning System is just one way we send emergency alerts. In addition to becoming familiar with the siren tones, we encourage everyone to sign up for alerts through Warn Central Texas to receive messages by text, email or phone.”
To register for Warn Central Texas alerts, visit warncentraltexas.org. For more information about the Outdoor Warning System and to review the siren tones, visit sanmarcostx. gov.
