Albany to Test Emergency Siren Friday

According to police chief Jason Price, the newly revamped siren will sound the fire signal (30 seconds, break, 30 seconds) at 4:15 p.m.

At 4:30 p.m., the tornado warning (one continuous three-minute blast) will sound. Testing in that phase will continue until 4:45 p.m.

A few minutes later, at 4:50 p.m., the flood siren will sound, although city officials were not sure of that signal at press time.

The testing should be completed by 5:15 p.m., said Price, and will be cancelled if the weather is bad or there are storms in the area.

The emergency siren has been inoperable for a number of years, but several members of the city council, as well as former mayor Sally Maxey, have pushed for its repair over the last year or two.

Grants were sought last year for a new emergency air warning system, but after it was discovered that the siren itself still worked, it was decided that the funding would come out of the city budget.

City manager David Denman explained that after looking at the old mechanism in April, Eddie Bartee with Albany Communication found that a new controller was needed rather than an entire new siren.

The controller was ordered in May at a cost of just under $2,000, in addition to about $700 in labor costs for installation.

As in the past, the siren will be triggered mainly from the sheriff's office. However, the fire chief and chief of police will also have portable remote controls.