Tornado Warning procedures in schools

[Conky 2000]

Hamilton County, in what state?

Ohio.

[NanSiren]

I remember a tornado warning in '92 or '93. This was before our HS went through remodeling, so it didn't have AC, so we had the windows open. It was final exam day (end of school year). We were taking the test when the thunderbolts fired up! Seconds later the operator came over the PA system and announced that this is NOT a drill. So we went down into the basement. It ended before the period ended, so we didn't have to complete the test! Someone did faint, however?

[SirenEnthusiast360]

I remember a tornado warning in '92 or '93. This was before our HS went through remodeling, so it didn't have AC, so we had the windows open. It was final exam day (end of school year). We were taking the test when the thunderbolts fired up! Seconds later the operator came over the PA system and announced that this is NOT a drill. So we went down into the basement. It ended before the period ended, so we didn't have to complete the test! Someone did faint, however?

they probably fainted because they didn't have to complete the test.

[kswx29]

I have only been through one tornado warning While In school. (I have been through dozens of tornado warnings...including while being at the mall)I was in 5th grade...and that annoying alarm went off. The teacher looked up at the intercom for a minute and then said something like "Ok guys, this isn't a drill. You know what to do." So me and two other kids that sat by the windows opened the windows (Now i guess you aren't supposed to open windows?) anyways we all piled into the center hall with our hands over our head (Man was that an uncomfortable position to be in for 40mins)...All turned out to be no tornadoes.

[StonedChipmunk]

Hamilton County, in what state?

Ohio.

Yeah, the TN Hamilton County sirens are all old Thunderbolts - deactivated, as far as I know (well, they never use them).

As far as I know, our school's tornado warning system is just the Modulator on top of our dorm. However, last year there was a tornado on a nearby mountain - we could see it from school - yet they didn't activate the siren.

We do have a PA system, though. Funny story: for the first semester last year, we had a chime to signal the start and end of class. Just a simple chime, like this:
http://federalsignal-indust.com/Selecto ... y/TM15.wav
But for some reason, for the second semester they decided to change it to this:
http://federalsignal-indust.com/Selecto ... ry/TM8.wav
Scared us s**tless! We thought there was a tornado. Keep in mind, though, we were used to the chime, and when the loud beeping sound came on we thought something bad was happening - especially because they played it 10 seconds instead of the old 5 seconds.

[matto143]

I know this hasn't been posted on for years, but anyways....
I once visited a school that had model A sirens mounted on the walls in the hallways. The principal informed me they did a steady tone (alert) for a tornado drill/warning, and fast wail for lockdowns. Seems it would be a little loud, but certainly effective. I can't recall the name of the school right now.. i think it was somewhere in illinois.

[weasel2htm]

My K-3 school and 4 and 5 schools used bells for the tornado drill/warning, just ran the bells continuously, however (as I've mentioned before) my K-3 school had a 2T22 across the street, no more than 100 feet away, that pretty much negated the need for the bells in a state wide drill or the real thing.

K-3 school we ducked and covered in the hall, 4th and 5th grade had a basement area.

Middle school used a beeping tone through the intercom, we took shelter in the basement under the 6th grade addition, crazy part is, we used both sets of stairs, the 2nd set of stairs is OUTSIDE!!!

Oddly enough, I can't remember what was done at high school, I guess we would get down the the first floor and duck and cover, I can't remember the alarm signal either, though, at the time there was a Thunderbolt 1000 two blocks away on top of the National Guard Armory, so we would have heard that.

Now that I work for a school system...

Elementary do three short air horn blasts through the intercom (yes an air horn into the intercom mic)

Not sure what the middle school does, never been over there during a drill

High school, announces over the intercom, but during a tornado warning last week, power flickers had the intercom and phone system all jacked up, so the principal had to walk around with a bullhorn, thankfully, the threat was on the tail end of a lunch period, the lunch room is the designated shelter area for the building as that wing is steel reinforced concrete.

[carexpertandy]

The school I went to for grades 1-2 has some small siren they use, but I'm not sure what it is or what it looks like. I remember going into bathrooms.

The school I went to for grades 3-4 has a buzzer through the intercom system that sounds, and we would go either into closets or a part of the classroom away from windows.

The school I went to for Kindergarten and grades 5-6 has a Thunderbolt on top! We would go into the hallways.

At the school I'm currently at, which has grades 7-12, this wailing siren sounds through the intercom system. I've gone in the hallways a few times, and this year for our drill, I had to go into the girl's bathroom!

[Model2]

When I was in elementary and when damaging tornadoes striking Ontario cities were still fresh in everyone's memory, they would blow a whistle over the PA in what I guess may be march time intervals.

Tornado drills are again part of the school year in some, if not all or most of, Ontario schools, but I don't know what the protocol is.

[bradhig]

In my elementary school the principal would blow a falcon air horn over the PA. They stopped doing that and just used a beeping tone to signal a tornado drill. In high school they rung the bells.