Northern VA siren info
Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:27 am
Hi All,
Grew up in Northern VA in the '80s, and remember Thunderbolts throughout the area. Mostly located at schools, I saw a few Allertors here and there but not many. They were working until at least '86 or so...tests were the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 11am or just after. Was outside in gym class more than once when my school's siren went off!
I remember watching an entire 60 Minutes segment, sometime btw. '86 and '89, about the DC area system, which included both the siren system plus a bell-and-light indoor warning system for government buildings in DC (which apparently few building managers even knew about by this time). IIRC the report stated that operators attempted to test the system one day, and nothing happened. No one had a clear answer as to what failed, but the report noted that the existing system would have to be scrapped. The sirens started disappearing in the early '90s.
Grew up in Northern VA in the '80s, and remember Thunderbolts throughout the area. Mostly located at schools, I saw a few Allertors here and there but not many. They were working until at least '86 or so...tests were the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 11am or just after. Was outside in gym class more than once when my school's siren went off!
I remember watching an entire 60 Minutes segment, sometime btw. '86 and '89, about the DC area system, which included both the siren system plus a bell-and-light indoor warning system for government buildings in DC (which apparently few building managers even knew about by this time). IIRC the report stated that operators attempted to test the system one day, and nothing happened. No one had a clear answer as to what failed, but the report noted that the existing system would have to be scrapped. The sirens started disappearing in the early '90s.