The Nashville Office of Emergency Management is back to reinforce community safety by ensuring all the Outdoor Tornado Warning Sirens are in working order in Bellevue, Madison.Â
The Siren Test
OEM tests its Outdoor Tornado Warning Siren System every month to identify any issues at the tornado siren sites, allowing them to be corrected as soon as possible. The outdoor System’s June test showed that the Bellevue Middle School at 655 Colice Jeanne Road and Neelys Bend Elementary at 1300 Neelys Bend Road required repairs.Â
Hence, CommTech–the Systems’ vendor–will be performing tests at these two locations between 8:00 am to 11:00 am on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The sirens will be activated for one entire minute. However, you may not be able to hear it as they are designed only to be heard outdoors.Â
A Peek into the System
The Nashville Outdoor Tornado Warning Siren System was upgraded to its current form in 2020 through the coordinated effort of OEM, Federal Signal, CommTech Radio, and Metro Information Technology Services. Based on a Polygonal Alert model, the system delivers warning signals across a polygonal alert area as soon as it receives information directly from the National Weather Service.
Over the past year, the OEM added 20 new siren sites to the existing 93 sites, bringing in 113 tornado warning sirens under its wing. This expands the System’s reach to more rural areas of Davidson County, allowing the OEM to relay that a tornado warning has been issued for any portion of the county.Â
The Nashville OEM – An Overview
As the name suggests, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management is a County emergency management body that enables disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Additionally, the OEM coordinates resources, monitors day-to-day incidents, and dispatches various departments when required. From tracking weather anomalies and terrorism alerts to community education, Nashville OEM works to make the County safe every minute of the day.
