Take cover under something sturdy like a big piece of furniture. If caught outside, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Avoid places with wide roof spans such as auditoriums, cafeterias, elevators, windows and glass doorways or shopping malls. The sirens are used primarily to warn of tornadoes and evacuations within the county. Each siren has a coverage area of approximately one mile.
Most sirens are alarm and voice capable.
The long steady tone used to warn of a tornado is the most familiar. Each siren can be individually activated and are tested at least once a month on Wednesdays, weather permitting. The warning sirens are sounded only when the National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning for Franklin County. This warning is repeated as the siren is positioned in all four major directions. This sequence is continued for as long as the warning remains in effect.