Know What to Do When You Hear Warning Sirens

Important information regarding City of Sycamore Outdoor Early Warning Sirens (EWS):

• Sirens are for outdoor warning purposes and are not meant to be heard indoors.
• Hearing a siren is a signal to get indoors and seek additional information.
• It does not mean the threat has ended when the sirens stop sounding.
• Sirens are activated by the direction of city officials, not by the weather service.

The City of Sycamore has six Outdoor Warning Sirens strategically placed throughout the city. Generally, early warning sirens are intended to alert our citizens and visitors of impending severe weather. However, early warning sirens may also be used to alert the public to a local emergency that could have significant impact on the community, such as a hazardous material incident.

For severe weather events, when are the sirens activated?

The early warning sirens will be activated when one or more of the following events occur:

• When a Tornado Warning for the Sycamore area is announced by the National Weather Service.
• When a funnel cloud or tornado is reported by a credible source within the City of Sycamore or Sycamore Fire Protection District.
• When National Weather Service Doppler Radar indicates tornado activity within the Sycamore Fire Protection District or City of Sycamore.
• When there are credible reports from neighboring communities indicating a funnel cloud or tornado tracking toward the City of Sycamore or Sycamore Fire Protection District.

When the Outdoor Early Warning Sirens are activated, the sirens will produce a continuous, steady pitched tone for a period of three minutes.

There is no “all clear” siren. To learn whether the threat has passed, seek additional information through the local media.

The Outdoor Warning Sirens are tested every Tuesday at 10 a.m. throughout the year with a one minute steady pitched tone test.

If you have any questions regarding the Outdoor Warning Sirens, please contact Fire Chief Peter Polarek at (815) 895-4514.