By Sheri Badger, Pierce County Emergency Management
Seventeen outdoor lahar warning sirens operated by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management successfully sounded Monday at noon for the monthly test of the system. This drill coincided with the monthly test by the state Emergency Management Division for the tsunami sirens along the coast. The Pierce County tests are designed to ensure that the sirens are working properly and can be heard outdoors throughout the Puyallup River Valley.
Just before the test, the Pierce County ALERT system made almost 10,000 calls to let residents and businesses know the test was about to take place. People can opt-in their cell phones, work phones, e-mail addresses and other devices on the ALERT system by visiting www.piercecountywa.org and signing up. (People who receive these calls are asked to push a button to hear the message.)