FCEM&HS coordinates the Franklin County Outdoor Warning Siren System. The system consists of 198 outdoor warning sirens located throughout Franklin County. The outdoor warning sirens alert residents who are outside with tones or a spoken message which can be transmitted for a natural or potential man-made hazards or threats.
When the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Tornado Warning for Franklin County, FCEM&HS activates the outdoor warning siren system. The system is activated based on 4 zones in the county aligning with the polygon activated by NWS. Once activated the outdoor warning sirens will sound with a tone for 3 minutes followed by 7 minutes of silence, this sequence will continue until the warning is canceled. To ensure functionality, the siren network is tested every Wednesday at noon. If there is a threat of severe weather, the test is cancelled to avoid confusion.