Press Release

Fort Detrick Public Affairs Office

810 Schreider St.

Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702

FORT DETRICK, MD (Aug 31, 2004) -- Fort Detrick will test its Emergency Alert Siren System Thursday, Sept 2, between noon and 3 p.m.

During this time there will be live public address announcements, bugle calls and sirens. Part of the testing is to determine appropriate volume levels, so some tests may be repeated. Testing will occur at intermittent intervals as adjustments are made to minimize the sound carrying beyond Fort Detrick.

The system notifies Fort Detrick personnel in the event of severe weather or other emergencies occurring in the area. It is tied to a radio station, 1610 AM, to allow for publicizing emergency information. The radio station has a range of three to four miles.

There are six sirens installed in key locations throughout the installation.