First siren test of 2015 to be January 14

The public alert notification sirens around the Oconee Nuclear Station will be tested for the first time in 2015 around 11:50 the morning of Wednesday, January 14. And, as usual, the test will last about three minutes. To your ears, the sirens may sound like a lot of squawking, but their reliability is important. The 65 sirens are within 10 miles of the nuclear plant and their sound serves as a signal for residents to tune to local radio or TV for emergency alerting messages. County officials use the stations to provide information to the public. If sirens are heard and residents are unsure if it is a test or an emergency, they should tune to their local radio or TV station. A full-cycle test is performed once each quarter in cooperation with emergency officials in Oconee and Pickens counties.