This Is A Test: Hanford Site Activating Emergency Sirens Thursday

Attention Tri-Cities Residents: The Hanford Site Will Activate the Emergency Sirens on Thursday, April 17th.

This is an emergency drill that's conducted at the Hanford facilities as part of an ongoing program to test emergency equipment and to train Hanford Site employees on emergency response procedures.

What People in the Area Need to Know About the Testing:

• DOE will activate the sirens between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. in the 100 Area of the Hanford Site, near the Columbia River, east of the Vernita Bridge, and north of the Wye Barricade. 

•  Individuals on the Columbia River near the 100 Area may hear the sirens, but no response will be required.

• Siren activation will also happen in the 200 Areas in the central portion of the Site, but these sirens are not generally heard off the Hanford Site.

A Series of Announcements Will Be Heard Over the Siren Speakers:

The announcements will include: "This is a drill message" before and after the siren tone. While people may hear the sirens, NO response is necessary.

In the Event of An Actual Emergency, the Following Would Occur:

• County officials would activate the Emergency Alert System to broadcast information to the public via local radio and television stations.

• Officials would also activate sirens located along the Columbia River, if necessary, to warn people on the water and on the shoreline.

Get our free mobile app

The Hanford Site was established in 1943 sa part of the Manhattan Project. The site was home to the first full-scale plutonium production reactor (B Reactor) in the world. The plutonium manufactured at the site was used to produce the first atomic bomb.