The Emergency Notification Sirens, commonly referred to as “tornado sirens”, are considered outside warning devices and will warn citizens who are outside and away from traditional notification devices such as a TV or radio of impending severe weather. We have six sirens located throughout the City, Aristocrat Acres, and Buffalo Ridge. The Emergency Notification Sirens, will not penetrate most homes or businesses built today and especially the basements. Therefore, many citizens never hear the Emergency Notification Sirens during severe weather.
We do not sound the sirens for watches or warnings. The District will sound the Emergency Notification Sirens for confirmed sightings of a tornado by public safety personnel, trained weather spotters, and/or NOAA conditions/weather radar showing a tornado on the ground in close proximity to Ft. Lupton or other significant weather threat. DO NOT DEPEND ON THE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SIRENS FOR SOLE NOTIFICATION IN CASE OF A TORNADO. WE MAY NEVER SEE THE TORNADO AT NIGHT OR THE WARNING MAY BE DELAYED. They are rare but do occur. There are only two tones to listen for. The siren warning is a 3-minute steady tone. It may be sounded multiple times. The “All Clear” is a 30 to 60-second high/low tone.
We test the sirens for 30 seconds the first Monday of every month at 1200 noon March through October. If you hear the Emergency Notification Sirens, you should immediately take cover in the basement or other safe part of your house away from the windows. Below grade is recommended. Monitor the weather radio or other notification device for further instructions and do not come out of a protected area until advised to do so by your weather radio or the “ALL CLEAR” tone if you are able to hear it.
It is recommended that you purchase a weather radio that is battery powered that will alert you to severe weather, subscribe to a weather service such as 9 News, etc. and monitor the news media for weather alerts. You will need notification when the storm has passed and you will never hear the “all clear” sirens in your basement. Here is a free site that you can sign up for to get alerts for your area via e-mail: http://lists.udfcd.org/mailman/listinfo We use this site and signed up for Weld County and it provides regular emails on severe weather. Go to Emwin_weld on the list and sign up. You will be notified of severe weather.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA main site) is an effective way of gathering severe storm information. You can also go to Code Red Emergency Notifications and sign up to be notified for emergencies in your area. Go to http://lists.udfcd.org/mailman/listinfo/emwin_weld_lists.udfcd.org It is also recommended that families store enough food, water, clothing, and other supplies for at a minimum of three days in case of a community emergency.