You are going about your day and nothing extraordinary is going on, when suddenly an alarm goes off and you panic. The folks at the Department of Energy (DOE) Portsmouth site in Piketon don’t want you to panic, so they’re letting you know in advance there will be a DOE site Public Warning System test May 24.

You should be prepared for the test if you live in proximity to the Piketon plant. You will most likely hear the warning system being tested but should know in advance it is nothing more than a test.

The Public Warning System semi-annual audible test will be conducted between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

This test will include the activation and sounding of the five exterior pole-mounted sirens that surround the site. A public address announcement will be made over each siren speaker prior to activating the siren stating “This is a test.”

In the event of a real emergency, announcements will be made over the plant public address system.