BATAVIA, Ohio -- Random siren activation remains a mystery in Clermont County, according to authorities.
The county Department of Public Safety Services is investigating what caused about half the outdoor sirens in the county to sound on Oct. 24, and Nov. 3. There were no active emergencies, and no scheduled tests.
Clermont County has 74 sirens throughout the county. According to a news release, the sirens are used during the following circumstances:
- A tornado warning has been issued by the National Weather Service.
- A funnel cloud is reported by credible source.
- A chemical emergency has occurred and a shelter-in-place order has been issued.
The sirens are tested at noon on the first Wednesday of every month -- making the next scheduled testing day Nov. 7.
“Inadvertent alarms are very concerning,” Clermont County Commissioner David Painter said in a written statement. “We will verify and reverify this system until we find out why this happened.”
Officials said the county is working with the manufacturer of the transmitter to determine whether there’s a transmitter issue.
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Until the problem is solved, Clermont County Emergency Management Agency Director Pam Haverkos encourages residents to pay attention to sirens.
“Although residents are understandably confused by these false alarms, they should not ignore sirens,” Haverkos said. “If the sirens sound, seek shelter, tune into local media outlets for additional information, and take the appropriate action.”
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