Those who heard something that sounded like an alarm on Oct. 12 at around lunchtime should know they weren’t being provided a reminder to take a meal break.
It was an alarm, but it was only a test of a local alert system.
The outdoor warning system has 20 sirens in and around Roswell, Dexter and Hagerman.
Testing of this equipment is at approximately noon on the first Monday of each month. However, October was an exception to the norm because the sirens could have competed with the crowds and sounds from the Eastern New Mexico State Fair Parade on Oct. 5. This is a yearly occurrence.
Monthly siren testing lasts for only about 30 seconds. But when the sound is used as a true warning and not a test, people should expect a “continuous, loud wailing tone” that’s about three minutes long, according to the city of Roswell.
An online fact sheet about the sirens is on the city’s website, roswell-nm.gov, in the Document Center.
The sirens can be used for any emergency from which the public needs to take shelter fast, particularly when tornadoes are expected. If the outdoor warning sirens are going off at a time other than during a scheduled test, local emergency officials advise people to seek shelter and tune in to local radio, television, or to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio broadcast for instructions and information.
