The Town of High River will be performing a regularly scheduled test of its emergency notification systems at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6. This is part of the Town’s activities for Emergency Preparedness Month and will include a test of the permanent sirens and High River Alert system.

In the event the sirens are activated to warn of a real emergency, it means that you need to take immediate action to keep yourself and your family safe.

When you hear the sirens, go to one of the following sources to find potential life-saving information:

• Tune in to local television and radio stations (Sun Country 99.7 FM, Eagle 100.9 FM and AM1140)
• Look for notifications from High River ALERT or Alberta Emergency Alert
• Log on to www.highriver.ca, Facebook.com/highriver.ca, and Twitter @TownofHighRiver
• Be safe and follow directions from emergency officials
• If it’s safe to do so, notify neighbours, friends and family of the situation who may not have received a warning.

The permanent sirens are meant for outdoor notifications only and most people will not be able to hear them inside. Tests of the sirens typically last between one to three minutes, but in a real emergency the sirens will sound continuously.

The High River Alert notification system will be tested in tandem with the sirens. The system allows you to opt-in to receive emergency notifications via phone calls, text messages and emails.

The sirens and High River Alert will continue to be tested three times each year on the first Wednesday in January, May and September.

To encourage residents to take appropriate action when they receive an emergency alert or hear the sirens, the Town of High River will be organizing a contest on Facebook. The day of the test, a siren related post will be added to the Town of High River’s page with details.