Siren Testing at Hanford on Thursday, Do You Know What to Do?

Not to worry. It's a drill. Hanford's emergency sirens will be sounding on Thursday.

The messages will be broadcast before and after the siren tones. The sirens will be activated  between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm in the 100 area of the Hanford site, near the Columbia River. The sirens will also sound in the 200 area. The siren tests are conducted to train employees and to test the equipment.

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Do you know what to do in an actual emergency?

Benton County Emergency Management, in coordination with Franklin County, the State of Washington and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has developed plans to respond in the unlikely event of an accident at the DOE's Hanford Site. The plans are designed to help protect residents, especially those living within the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ) around the Hanford sites.

How would you be notified of an emergency?

Residents within the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ)
in Benton and Franklin counties would be notified
by warning sirens located within the EPZ, by EAS
messaging over select radio stations (following siren
activation), by direct electronic telephone notification,
or by Tone Alert Radios provided for limited use in
schools and selected residences with Special Notification
Needs. Benton and Franklin counties use the CodeRED
Telephone Notification System (TNS).

It's recommended that you have an emergency kit ready to go with the following:

Medical items, personal hygiene items, baby supplies, identification and important documents, extra clothing, food, bedding, batteries, flashlight, and money.

Click the button below for IMPORTANT emergency information.