It’s just a test: County plans to sound siren ‘attack mode’ for first time in 5 years

Plans to test the “attack mode” function of Sedgwick County’s tornado siren system are back on for Monday after a scheduled test earlier this month was called off.

The rarely used function, designed to warn against air raids and other enemy attacks, is characterized by a siren wail that rises and falls as opposed to the steady tone of the “alert” mode.

The county’s emergency management division will test the attack mode on all 152 sirens at noon. The test will last between three and five minutes, and a team of 20-some volunteers will observe and collect data at siren sites.

Monday’s test of the attack mode function will be Sedgwick County’s first since 2015.

The originally scheduled May 2 test was postponed because of the threat of more severe weather two days after the devastating EF-3 tornado that ravaged Andover and southeastern Sedgwick County.

Wichita has the four oldest Thunderbolt sirens in the United States, installed in 1952 after then-President Harry Truman signed the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950.

“Their original intent was for enemy attack and air raids. But for lack of enemy attacks and air raids, they were repurposed for tornado warnings,” Deputy Director of Emergency Management Jonathan Marr said last month.

He said whenever the warning sounds outside of routine testing, residents should take the same steps whether they hear the alert or attack sirens — seek shelter and get more information from trusted sources.

This story was originally published May 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM.