Tornado Siren Tests Fail in Both Marion and Hancock County

Source: Keith Fisher / Getty

MARION AND HANCOCK COUNTIES, Ind.–Tornado sirens did not activate in both Marion and Hancock County during Tuesday’s statewide tornado siren test.

In a statement, the Marion County Emergency Management has said the following:

“Marion County Emergency Management (MCEM) is aware of reports indicating that the county’s outdoor warning sirens did not activate during today’s scheduled test. As part of our ongoing commitment to public safety, we have engaged our vendor to investigate the cause. MCEM in conjunction with the vendor conducted another brief test of the system at 1:59 pm and the system was found to be functioning normally.

At this time the vendor is continuing to investigate potentials causes. MCEM conducts regular siren tests every Friday to ensure the system functions properly. Each test generates a report, which is reviewed by both our staff and our vendor to detect any potential malfunctions. This remote monitoring process is a crucial component of our emergency preparedness efforts. This issue highlights the need for individuals to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts and to always remain weather aware.

To ensure the system’s reliability, MCEM will conduct an additional full-system test on Friday, March 14 at 11:00 AM at the normally scheduled time weather permitting. We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we work to maintain a dependable outdoor emergency warning system.”

Not long after that statement came out, leaders in Hancock County said their sirens didn’t work either.