Loud Emergency Sirens Will Sound Off In Scarborough This Week But It's Just A Test
They're going to make a "whoop, whoop" sound. 🚨
If you hear sirens blaring off in Scarborough tomorrow afternoon, don't stress — the Purge isn't happening.
According to an announcement from the City, anyone who resides in, goes to school in, or works in Guildwood or Rouge Park in Scarborough is going to hear loud sirens on Wednesday, October 20, five minutes after 2 p.m., as part of the Toronto East Community Awareness and Emergency Response's (TE CAER) community siren system testing.
Anyone within 1 kilometre of the sirens will hear them go off, and depending on the weather, it could even go beyond this bubble.
"The siren will make a 'whoop, whoop' tone which will sound for two minutes followed by five minutes of silence," City officials wrote. "After the five minutes of silence, an All Clear monotone sound will be issued for one minute."
This siren system was created to warn everyone of the unlikely event that there's a chemical emergency in the area, and testing will ensure the system will run smoothly should this ever happen.
Everyone in Scarborough-Rouge Park and Scarborough-Guildwood is asked to listen to the siren testing, follow the emergency guidelines, and use this as an opportunity to test their emergency preparedness.
"Residents should take shelter inside, turn off HVAC and other ventilation systems that can draw outdoor air inside the house (clothes dryer, fans, window air conditioners, etc.), and close all doors and windows," the October 18 announcement read.
When there is a real emergency, residents in the area should follow the protocols and instructions that are given through official government channels like their local radio or TV broadcast stations, and/or cellular Wireless Emergency Alert.