PLYMOUTH — Marshall County will conduct weekly testing on its outdoor warning siren system beginning on Tuesday, June
2nd.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch Center will automatically activate its sirens every Tuesday at 11 AM for 30 seconds.
Dispatch controls sirens for Bourbon, Center, and Union Townships. These are the sirens that will be activated during the weekly tests. Other sirens across the county are controlled by their respective fire departments and have their own testing procedures.
In 2024, the Marshall County Council supported an additional appropriation to automate county-controlled sirens. This technology has been a huge success and has led to more rapid notification of the sirens once a Tornado Warning is issued, eliminating the potential for human error. Adding a weekly test doubles down on the system’s feature that displays the operational status of each siren and engages the public in preparedness efforts.
If severe weather is forecasted on the day of a test, or if it is actively raining at 11 AM, the test will be cancelled to avoid “false alarms”. If a test is cancelled, a post will be made by the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) on Facebook announcing the cancellation.
This is one step of many that public safety officials are taking to improve severe weather preparedness in Marshall County. The EMA is actively pursuing funding opportunities for new and existing sirens, planning NOAA Weather Radio giveaways, and securing high-quality training for its public and private partners.
The EMA would like to express our thanks to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Bourbon Volunteer Fire Department, Culver-Union Township Fire Department, and Plymouth Fire Department for coordinating this test and their commitment to severe weather safety.
