Lexington to run citywide outdoor warning siren test Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Lexington Emergency Management ran its monthly outdoor warning siren test across Fayette County at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, according to the city and the agency’s public preparedness site. The test was a routine system check, not an emergency, and officials told residents no action was required. People living near parks or golf courses were likely to hear a series of chimes followed by a voice announcement saying, “This is a test,” the agency said. The city says the siren network is intended to warn people who are outdoors about severe weather and certain hazardous incidents. ### Why did people in Lexington hear sirens on Wednesday morning? Wednesday, Aug. 5, was the first Wednesday of the month, when Lexington’s Division of Emergency Management says it normally tests the outdoor warning siren system at 10 a.m. The city says those tests are routine unless severe weather or another actual incident makes a test inappropriate. (lexingtonky.gov) The Be Ready Lexington site said the Aug. 5 test covered the network of outdoor warning sirens and included a reminder in capital letters that there was “NO EMERGENCY” and that the activation was for testing purposes only. That notice said residents near parks or golf courses could hear the test sequence. ### How many sirens are in the system, and where are they? (lexingtonky.gov) The City of Lexington’s outdoor warning siren page says Emergency Management manages 34 sirens in parks throughout Fayette County. A city data page for outdoor warning siren locations also lists 34 records. A separate Be Ready Lexington page says the agency manages 33 outdoor warning sirens, while a recent Be Ready Lexington post about a new siren at Martin Luther King Park said that siren is now active and would be included in monthly tests. (bereadylexington.com) Based on those pages together, the city’s broader count appears to reflect the newly added unit, though the preparedness site’s older reference had not been updated in all places as of Thursday. (lexingtonky.gov) ### What are these sirens supposed to warn people about? Lexington says the sirens are meant to alert people who are outdoors, not people inside buildings. The city’s siren page says the system is used for a hazardous weather watch or warning, a hazardous chemical spill, or a Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program incident. (bereadylexington.com) The Be Ready Lexington explainer says sirens in Lexington-Fayette County are activated for a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado watch between 6 a.m. and midnight, and for a tornado warning at any hour. That page also says that when a monthly test is conducted, the sirens sound a Westminster Chime followed by a public-address announcement. ### What should residents do if they hear a siren outside a test? (lexingtonky.gov) The city says anyone near a siren during an actual activation should seek shelter indoors immediately. If a siren gives verbal instructions, the city says people should follow them. Be Ready Lexington also says Emergency Management distributes emergency information on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s low-power radio station at 1620 AM. (bereadylexington.com) The agency’s preparedness materials point residents to Lex-Alerts and NOAA weather radio as additional ways to receive warnings, rather than relying only on outdoor sirens. ### Why might some residents hear nothing during a scheduled test? (lexingtonky.gov) The city’s outdoor warning siren page says some locations are “quiet tests,” meaning equipment is tested without a wail or announcement. That means a regularly scheduled monthly test does not always produce the same sound at every siren site. The same city page says tests are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 10 a.m., except when an actual weather incident is likely. (bereadylexington.com) For residents tracking the next check, that means the next routine test would fall on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, if conditions allow. (lexingtonky.gov)