Warning sirens activated in Highland Park

When will the system be tested?
Pursuant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the system will be tested on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. The test will be a full sounding of the sirens for a period of 1 to 1½ minutes.

How many different siren sounds might be heard, and what do they mean?
There are two siren sounds, as designated by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines:

Alert Warning – steady-pitch (once at full volume) for 3-5 minutes (tested in odd-numbered months) Activated in the event of a tornado, or funnel cloud.

Attack Warning – wavering high-low tone for 3-5 minutes (tested in even-numbered months)

The first recommended action is to take cover along with your emergency kit. You can tune to radio stations AM670, AM720, AM780, AM1220, or FM102.3 to obtain information on the emergency. You can also tune to Cable TV Channel 10. Also, if an activation is necessary and the reason is not clear (such as during nice weather) an emergency hotline will be set-up at 1-847-926-1033 with a message explaining the activation.

DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 when the sirens sound unless there is a true emergency. To obtain information, please use one of the other sources discussed.