Indian Point Sirens in Orange County to be tested on Oct. 15

A full-volume test of the Indian Point Energy Center siren system will be conducted between 10:30 and 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, throughout the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) around Indian Point, including the sirens in Orange County.

There are 172 sirens located within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone surrounding Indian Point, included 23 in Orange County.

During this full-system activation test, sirens will sound simultaneously for four minutes. The sirens will sound at full-volume for the entire duration of the test.

If the sirens were sounded during an actual emergency, residents would listen to an Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio or television station for information and instructions about any action to be taken. Sounding the sirens is a signal for residents to listen to EAS broadcasts for important information.

It is not a signal to evacuate.

“We test the Indian Point sirens in Orange County throughout the year to ensure that they work in the event of an emergency,” said Orange County Radiological Officer Shannon Fisher. “The testing requires no action on the part of the public.”

The Indian Point Energy Center, located in Buchanan, is a nuclear powered electric generating facility on the east bank of the Hudson River in Westchester County, close to portions of Rockland, Putnam, and Orange counties.

For more information, including a list of EAS stations, please refer to the Orange County Indian Point Emergency Guide Are you ready?, or visit Orange County’s Department of Emergency Management at www.orangecountygov.com/dem.