Emergency siren tests Thursday

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has requested all jurisdictions to test their emergency notification systems on Thursday, April 2, between 10 am and 12:30 pm. Medina County normally tests its outdoor warning sirens on the first Friday at noon, which would be April 3. 

This test is supposed to encompass all systems, which will include testing the Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS), the county’s opt-in I-Info notification system, and the outdoor warning sirens. The test of IPAWS is a silent test of the system and citizens will not receive any notification from that system since the Federal government does not authorize non-emergency testing to be broadcast, as !PAWS alerts go to every phone within the jurisdiction. IPAWS is restricted to life-threatening emergencies and the monthly test is an internal test. 

For I-Info, those who have signed up to receive alerts will receive a message that stipulates it is a test only. The sirens will be tested at 10 am today (Thursday) to meet the State request and they will not be tested again on Friday.