Photo Courtesy Cedar ParkCedar Park is scheduled to begin testing its tornado sirens at noon May 1 and plans to sound the alert system the first Wednesday of each month.
Michael Clanton, Cedar Park emergency management coordinator, told City Council on April 25 that the sirens were strategically installed in the city's three biggest parks—Brushy Creek Sports Park, Milburn Park and Veterans Memorial Park.
The parks' tornado alert system will serve as a secondary precaution, he said. The alert system will be managed by Cedar Park's emergency personnel and will only be triggered during monthly testings and when a confirmed tornado is spotted. The sirens will not be tested during inclement weather so as to avoid confusion.
Such systems are created for outdoor settings, Clanton said, making the city's most-frequented parks the ideal location for the sirens. Park patrons are urged to take shelter immediately if the sirens go off during non-testing times.
