Monday March 3, 2008

MetroSafe to Sound Sirens for Statewide Tornado Drill

JCPS students to practice tornado safety at school

At 10:07 a.m. Tuesday, March 4th, Louisville’s MetroSafe supervisors will sound the city’s 120 tornado sirens as part of the annual statewide tornado drill. Normally, MetroSafe schedules siren tests on the second Tuesday of each month at noon, so administrators want the public to be aware that this is just a drill and not an actual weather event.

Jefferson County Public School students will take part in the drill, leaving their classrooms to shelter in safe places in the building.

“Even though this is only a test, people should take this opportunity to consider where they would go in the event of a tornado,” said Doug Hamilton, the Metro Louisville Emergency Management director. “This is a good chance to review your family’s safety plan.”

“Sometimes folks may take a lighthearted approach to emergency drills. We hope this year they will give some serious thought to what they might do if there’s an actual event,” says Buddy Rogers, Public Information Officer with the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. “Doing this right during ‘dress rehearsal’ could easily save your life when the real thing comes along.”

The annual drill is conducted by the Kentucky Emergency Management Agency (KYEM), the National Weather Service and the Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee.