San Marcos upgrades outdoor warning sirens; alert during fires, public safety threats

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The City of San Marcos said its 14 outdoor warning sirens would be fully operational beginning Aug. 1.

The city said the sirens were intended to alert the community of a threat, which included severe weather or a hazardous incident.

The Outdoor Warning System will emit three tone patterns , including:

• Tornado warning: Single pitch that is a long and steady tone and last for three minutes
• Wild land fire: Alternates between high and low tones lasting for three minutes
• Public safety threat: Wave-like pitch that will change in tone every 16 seconds for a total of three minutes

“Once the sirens sound, individuals who are outside are urged to seek shelter,” the city said.

According to the city, the system was first installed in 2011, but the sirens required maintenance and upgrades that took several months to complete.

“The outdoor warning sirens are an important public safety tool,” said Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Reese Martin. “The San Marcos community has experienced severe flooding and other emergencies. Seconds count in an emergency, and the upgrades to this system will allow us to ensure everyone is notified as soon as possible.”

The city said people should expect regular testing of the sirens on the first Saturday of each month at noon. They said it should last for one minute and will be a low growling noise.

Location of the sirens

City of San Marcos Emergency Management Coordinator Rob Fitch said they started the upgrade process a few years ago.

“The big thing was the automation. The National Weather Service can now automatically do it. That’s huge,” Fitch said. “Because before we had to rely on dispatch to get a call, press the button and send out the message.”

Fitch said this is specifically meant to help alert people who are outside.

“Our river is very popular, you know, outdoors is very popular,” Fitch said. “The corridor that we concentrated our sirens are, it’s up through the river corridor and a few neighborhoods.”

‘One more tool’

San Marcos is no stranger to severe weather. Back in May, a storm rolled through the city and took down tree limbs and branches in its path.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra’s home was caught in the middle of it.

Becerra said these sirens can be especially beneficial for people who don’t have access to other alerts.

But along with the sirens, Becerra and city officials encouraged people to utilize other tools as well if they can.

“Tuning into the National Weather Service,” Becerra said. “Signing up for alerts through WARN Central Texas.”

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