Ominous sirens will blare throughout Montreal next week — Here’s why you shouldn’t panic

If you’re anywhere on the island of Montreal next Wednesday morning and suddenly hear a loud, rising and falling siren, don’t panic. It’s planned.

The City of Montreal is conducting its annual public alert siren test on Wednesday, May 6, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The test is coordinated with industrial facilities across the island that are equipped with public warning sirens, and the sound will carry across each facility’s potential exposure radius. If you hear it, that’s the point.

Each siren emits a rising and falling tone that lasts three minutes. Participating facilities will trigger their sirens one at a time according to a set schedule, so depending on where you are on the island, you might hear it once or several times throughout the day.

There are two main purposes for the test: to remind residents who live near these industrial sites what to do in an emergency, and to make sure all the equipment is actually working if it’s ever needed for real, such as in the event of a nuclear emergency or toxic substance release.

Here’s the full schedule for May 6:

What to do if you hear the siren

There’s no danger. But the city is encouraging residents to use the test as an opportunity to get familiar with what to do if a real emergency ever triggers the system. The guidance is:

• Get inside the nearest building quickly
• Close all doors, windows and ventilation systems
• Don’t go pick up your kids from school or daycare — staff are trained for these situations and will keep children safe
• Avoid making phone calls to keep emergency lines clear, except to call 911
• Follow instructions from authorities

In a real emergency, the siren would be accompanied by alerts pushed through the city’s “Avis et alertes” notification system, automated calls from Civil Security, the Quebec En Alerte messaging system and press releases.

You can sign up to receive city emergency alerts at montreal.ca.