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Don’t be alarmed! Twelve factories across the island of Montreal will sound their alarms on Wednesday as part of the city’s annual siren test, which it conducts to ensure industrial sites and residents living near them are prepared in case a toxic substance is ever released.
The drill will run between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Over that period, the factories will sound their warning siren one by one for three minutes each. Each site will test its siren twice, with the exception of dairy product manufacturer Saputo in Saint-Laurent, which will sound its alarms three times.
“There is no danger to your family, or safety risk of any kind. Please take this opportunity to find out what you should do,” the city wrote in a news release last month.
The drills are an opportunity for the city to ensure “all equipment is in good working order and that emergency responders are adequately prepared in case of an industrial accident,” it says. They also help raise awareness among those living or working near industrial sites about what to do in such scenarios.
Notably, in the case of a real emergency, the city directs people to take shelter inside the nearest building, shut all doors and windows, and avoid making phone calls unless it’s to report an emergency to 911.
Schools and daycares are also aware of the protocol to follow and can take care of children if there’s ever an industrial accident nearby, the city says.
Crucially, sirens signaling a real danger would be followed by official messages broadcast on social media, the city’s “Notices and Alerts” systems, or the civil protection department’s automated call system, among other platforms.
A detailed schedule showing when each alarm will sound is on the City of Montreal’s website.