Statewide Emergency Siren Test Scheduled for January 2

The first test of 2013 for the Hawaii Civil Defense outdoor siren warning system will occur statewide on Wednesday, January 2 at 11:45 am.

It will be coordinated with the test of the live audio broadcast segment of the Emergency Alert System, and should produce a steady one minute tone on all sirens.

The tone is intended to alert the public to any emergency that may pose a threat to life and property, including terrorist incidents or acts of war.

A test on November 1, 2012 found that 13 of the island’s 71 sirens were not working properly. Siren failures and other emergency response complications were heavily criticized following a Tsunami warning on Saturday October 27, 2012.

Tests of civil defense sirens and the Emergency Alert System are typically conducted on the first working day of the month, in cooperation with Hawaii’s broadcasting industry.