ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Every Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m., the sirens on Anniston Army Depot wail. This test, held whenever inclement weather is not in the area, is a reminder to the employees of the installation to be prepared for emergency situations.
In addition to the test each Wednesday, there are six siren tones that may be heard here: active shooter, severe weather, tornado warning, security alert, seek shelter and an all-clear tone.
Yesterday, Kenny Steppe of the Depot Operations Office spoke to the workforce on The Morning Show to explain how to identify each tone. Steppe's presentation, complete with sound files can be found on the depot Intranet's main page on the right side. Click the ANAD emergency warning system tones link.
"We want to be sure everyone is trained and everyone knows what to do in the case of an incident," said Steppe.
Before and after each siren tone, instructions and additional information are broadcast through the "giant voice" system to assist employees in deciding whether to seek shelter where they are or move to a different building.
"Basically, the siren is to get their attention," said Steppe. "If you hear the siren, you need to listen for the message that follows it."
And employees should be aware of their building's policies and procedures for emergencies.
According to Don Evans, emergency manager for the depot, there are four methods through which employees should receive information in the event of an incident or emergency.
The sirens will sound throughout the installation, but are not able to be heard in all areas. Since noise in some shops often drowns out the sirens, red lights have been positioned in five buildings on the installation, including the Combat Vehicle Repair Facility. These lights continuously flash whenever a tornado siren is sounded.
Additionally, at approximately the same time the siren sounds, employees with e-mail capability should receive a message from the Operations Center providing details of the incident or emergency and further instructions. Supervisors are encouraged to share the contents of these e-mails with those in their area who do not have computer access or who may be away from their computer at the time.
For employees with disabilities, the Depot Operations Office has coordinated with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office to ensure someone is available in their area who can assist them.
"Every directorate on depot has a plan supporting the depot's emergency response plan," said Evans. "They are required to rehearse their plan.
Rehearsal can take place during an actual event, as has happened on numerous occasions in the past year when tornado warnings were issued for the surrounding area.
The depot's Emergency Response Plan is located on the Intranet under Regulations and Policies and each directorate should have their organization-specific plan on site.
"The most critical thing is for people to know there is a plan and, if they don't know what the plan is, they need to ask their supervisor," said Evans.
Anniston Army Depot Siren Tones
TEST MESSAGE WAIL -- "This is a test of the Anniston Army Depot emergency warning system. This is a test and only a test." Followed by the wailing tone. Conducted every Wednesday at 1 p.m.
TORNADO ALERT -- "A tornado has been sighted in the area -- Take cover immediately." Followed by the alert tone.
SEVERE WEATHER -- "Attention! Severe weather warning. Take cover immediately." This message will be repeated twice, followed by the alert tone.
SEEK SHELTER -- "Attention! Seek shelter immediately. Close doors and windows. Shut off heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Seek shelter immediately." Followed by the whooping tone.
SECURITY -- "This is a Security Alert. All gates to the installation will be closed." This message will be repeated twice, followed by the alert tone.
ACTIVE SHOOTER -- This verbal message will be through live public address: "Attention - active shooter alert. Attention active shooter alert. An active shooter incident at building __ or in the ___ area. Implement your active shooter protocols. Active shooter alert." This is followed by the alert tone.
ALL CLEAR -- "All clear - resume normal operations," followed by Westminster Chimes.
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