MDC to test town’s flood warning sirens

BARKHAMSED — The Metropolitan District’s flood warning notification sirens, located at the Goodwin Dam Hydroelectric Powerhouse in West Hartland and adjacent to the Grange Hall in the Riverton section of Barkhamsted, will undergo routine testing and public sounding at 1 and 7 p.m. Oct. 27.

The siren will affect the communities of West Hartland, Colebrook, Riverton and a portion of Barkhamsted, according to a statement.

Each scheduled test will begin with a voice message broadcast through the warning notification sound system saying, “The following warning tones are a test of the Goodwin Dam to Riverton Evacuation Siren System. In the event of an emergency situation at the Goodwin Dam, the following alarm tone would be sounded. This is only a test. This is only a test.”

Several soundings may be necessary to fully exercise the system, and each test is anticipated to last no longer than five minutes.

The test will conclude with the message “This announcement concludes the testing of the Goodwin Dam to Riverton Evacuation Siren System. This was only a test. This was only a test.”

The Metropolitan District takes responsibility for the safety and well-being of its customers very seriously and regrets any inconvenience that the noise may cause to residents during the testing period.

The tests are part of the MDC’s Goodwin Dam Emergency Action Plan and are required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for all hydroelectric power facilities.

The testing has been fully coordinated with local emergency response agency officials. Questions regarding local emergency preparedness agency evacuation plans should be directed to local police and/or fire departments.