Gatlinburg tests new emergency sirens

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How did a one-acre fire on the Chimney Tops trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park transform into a massive firestorm? Take an inside look at the events leading up to the November 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires that claimed 14 lives. Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel

It was only a test.

The blare of emergency sirens Wednesday afternoon revealed no problems during the first test of a new outdoor warning system in Gatlinburg and surrounding Sevier County, officials said.

The test — one of several recommendations made by consultants in the wake of the fatal November 2016 wildfires that ravaged Gatlinburg — activated 14 sirens.

The siren test began at 3 p.m. and lasted only a few minutes. The Sevier County Emergency Management Agency also tested the CodeRed and Integrated Public Alert and Warning System networks in the Gatlinburg area. The systems send emergency notification calls and text alerts to cellphones.

"All 14 sirens functioned appropriately" when activated from the city fire hall and remotely, city and county officials said in a news release. "The CodeRed and IPAWS tests were successful."

Gatlinburg previously relied on a 20-year-old system of four sirens stationed around the downtown area for mass notifications. The city employed that system during the wildfire, but flames damaged or destroyed some of the sirens. After the fire, Gatlinburg officials installed new sirens and expanded the system throughout the city and surrounding neighborhoods.

Authorities sent no text alerts about the wildfire to residents due to a breakdown in communications with Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials in Nashville. Sevier County authorities have since acquired the capability to send IPAWS alerts locally.

"During an actual emergency, when residents hear the sirens they should take cover immediately and tune into a local radio or television station to receive additional emergency information," the news release advised. "Officials urge that residents should not call 911 or local emergency officials for information as this can tie up telephone lines needed for emergency operations. The sirens are an all-hazard emergency system and are intended to warn residents of any life-threatening situation in the area."

Officials encourage residents to visit gatlinburgtn.gov to sign up for CodeRed alerts.