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Any idea why the emergency sirens are going off? It's not test day, and only 1 sequence instead of all 3.....

I'm listening to the radio, nothing so far..  

Brandon Twitter page says they are upgrading the equipment so that's why you heard it!

So, from the looks of it, no information or notifications given before the work and not everyone has twitter and I'm sure even fewer have the City of Brandon on theirs. Poor planning.  

Seriously? How about just be happy that they are upgrading their equipment and wanted to do a quick test. Plus they played the chimes to say all clear. If there was a real emergency it would've been announced on whatever you turned to.

CorvidDreamer said "So, from the looks of it, no information or notifications given before the work and not everyone has twitter and I'm sure even fewer have the City of Brandon on theirs. Poor planning.   "

Most residents are aware of the emergency siren. Probably quite a few are unaware of what the "all clear" sound is, right off the top of their head, so sounding just that is a poor way to do a test without some kind of public awareness made beforehand.  
 
Without much trouble I'm sure a better way of conducting a test could have been made.

Yes.....They should have put it all over the radio, took out newspaper ads and the very least go door to door letting everyone know. And.....if nobody was home at least leave a card on the door knob. Wait....just in case every household should have been in the mail a letter stating their intentions.  
 
By only putting it on their Facebook page and Twitter it misses too many people.

At the end of the day it's a lose/lose situation for the city. People will complain that they didn't let people know a siren was going to go off for a short time just to test to make sure the upgrade worked, or they will complain that they wasted money paying people to go door to door or leave flyers stating their intentions for something so simple.  
 
I bet everyone wants CN or CP rail to hand out flyers the next time they are moving train cars in the yard.

I heard it too and my first thought was "is it last Wednesday already?"  
Did listen for an announcement and heard nothing and so went along with my daily business. It's not something to make a mountain out of a molehill over but IMO in order for the system to work as well as intended the public needs to take it seriously. Every false (or misinterpreted) sounding of the system probably chips away at that just a little bit. I'm sure next time there'll be a notice put out online in advance, or even a brief "This was just a test" message read over the system...  
 
It really is great that we have this kind of system in place and that they're still working on making it better. I imagine it's not something that can be fully appreciated until it's actually needed (which is hopefully not very often in a lifetime!).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Edited by Adam, 2015-08-10 15:38:35

Fishin Guy said "Yes.....They should have put it all over the radio, took out newspaper ads and the very least go door to door letting everyone know. And.....if nobody was home at least leave a card on the door knob. Wait....just in case every household should have been in the mail a letter stating their intentions.     By only putting it on their Facebook page and Twitter it misses too many people. "

Thankfully this time it wasn't an emergency. Thanks to the people who clarified.  
I do believe the city has a profile on eBrandon. They could of posted it here for the whopping cost of 10 minutes of wages.  
Looking at the timestamps of the replies on this thread it looks like many people check out eBrandon when something happens.Something for the city to consider for the next time I guess.

everyone is getting bent out of shape because they played the 'All Clear' siren as a quick test?  
 

That is correct Trevor

mrsj said "    Fishin Guy said "Yes.....They should have put it all over the radio, took out newspaper ads and the very least go door to door letting everyone know. And.....if nobody was home at least leave a card on the door knob. Wait....just in case every household should have been in the mail a letter stating their intentions.     By only putting it on their Facebook page and Twitter it misses too many people. " Thankfully this time it wasn't an emergency. Thanks to the people who clarified.   I do believe the city has a profile on eBrandon. They could of posted it here for the whopping cost of 10 minutes of wages.   Looking at the timestamps of the replies on this thread it looks like many people check out eBrandon when something happens.Something for the city to consider for the next time I guess. "

Like Trevor said.....it was a quick test that said "All Clear". I guess some people are more conditioned to call upon eBrandon instead of the source. Call the city then if you have a question would be my first thought. My internet is down....I will ask eBrandon if the internet is down instead of calling my provider. I can almost bet that reading the sound off in the Brandon Sun there will be a comment about someone not knowing what the siren was for and they should have been notified. Either way it will always be a lose lose for whoever. If it was on the radio, what about those who listen to satellite radio, was in the paper, what about those who don't read the paper, was on ebrandon, what about those who don't have a computer, went door to door, what about those that work and were not home. Simple thing is we all have to realize that we cannot notify everyone unless personally going with a checklist door to door multiple times a day to make sure everyone knows. And if by chance a couple were missed it would be here that it is said they were not notified. It is great that we have these sirens in place but for many of us at work they mean nothing. We cannot hear even the test sirens. I would have to notice people running down the street with their arms in the air to think something is wrong.  
 
Also like I mentioned the City has Twitter and Facebook. If you come on here it is very easy to check out their own sites too.

I heard the siren today I thought everything sound clear outside. I hear the radio only the time I drive. I do not know anything about different sound of sirens.  
Before moving to Brandon last few months I was living out of town which I never heard the siren on wednesdays

More peeved that I was in the car and heard on the radio it had sounded (never heard it) and then was told they'd explain why in 9 minutes. Seriously no comment that everything was okay or why it had sounded?? Some of us have things to do and can't sit there listening to the radio to find out if they should be worried or not. Seemed more on the side of fear mongering than entertainment. I have no problem with them testing the system outside of normal testing.

notify everyone in Brandon for such a quick test just isn't that simple. Even when things like this are in all local media, many still won't get the notification.

They need to try to inform as many as possible of such tests , some people may start to ignore the real ones  
 
 
 
Edited by trapper, 2015-08-10 19:03:22

I believe this is very short sited on the part of city of Brandon. Yes it was the All Clear sign but people really have no clue to the different sounds. People hear the emergancey system going off , and for the past few years is that when you hear the emergancey tones you are to tune into a radio station, well maybe the city should follow through with a broadcast that it is a test. I truly believe Mr. Kayes and the city of Brandon blew this one.

I live in North hill never hear siren unless Window open or outside, need air raid siren

we need to educate ourselves about the sirens. The city website has all about the sirens on the B.E.S.T webpage.

This wasn't a planned test. This was an "all clear" signal that went off during the upgrades. Why would anyone freak about an all clear signal?  
 
Like Trevor said, we need to educate ourselves about the sirens.  
 
The siren has TWO tones:  
 
1. The alternating high/low tone - danger  
2. The Westminster Chime tone - danger has passed.  
 
 
http://emerg.brandon.ca/images/pdf/bestHandbook.pdf  
 

Trevor B said "we need to educate ourselves about the sirens. The city website has all about the sirens on the B.E.S.T webpage. "

All people should have to know is if they hear a tone is to tune into the radio, we should not have to know what each tone is because most people don't care. Should we know the difference between a police siren, fire dept. siren or an ambulance , no just get out of the way. Likely the only people who know the different tones are the people who work on them.  
The other thing that I find hard to understand is why they test them at 4:45 pm. In the summer time this is around the time that bad weather may occur. Would not noon be a better time, much like Koch does.  
Yes people should know what the different tones mean, but in reality know one does.

Sounds like maybe we should just scrap the sirens and spend that money elsewhere. If no one cares to learn the difference between two sirens and pretend like it's not loud enough or think it's their cell phone (highly doubt your ringtone is the same as the sirens) then maybe let's all fend for ourselves when danger comes our way. Give me a break Brandon. We're better than this.

should definitely know the different tones and what they mean. They're distinct for a reason!!!!

Trevor B said "should definitely know the different tones and what they mean. They're distinct for a reason!!!! "

Yes people should but likely less than 2% do. I am in favour of the sirens but make it simple.  
Ps. Is that the city dept. you work for

cotr said "    Trevor B said "should definitely know the different tones and what they mean. They're distinct for a reason!!!! " Yes people should but likely less than 2% do. I am in favour of the sirens but make it simple.   Ps. Is that the city dept. you work for "

My department.  
 

if its a real emergency they will have a backup alert system. I for one have never heard the siren.

Curling Mom said "if its a real emergency they will have a backup alert system. I for one have never heard the siren. "

Yes, its called an old fashioned radio, with batteries. When a real emergency happens, it happens quick and there is no extra time to educate people.  
 
 
 
 

Quite simply, the alarm system seemed to do a pretty good job at getting peoples attention. I actually stopped work and went outside to see if I could determine why the siren was sounding. A simple, verbal "this was a test" after the siren would have alerted those that heard it as to what was happening.  
 
There really would be no need for "putting it all over the radio, taking out newspaper ads and the very least go door to door letting everyone know. And.....if nobody was home at least leaving a card on the door knob."  
 
Keeping things simple actually works.