In the 2021 Bond Election, Rowlett voters approved the 2021 CIP Bond Package Proposition C, which included the replacement of Rowlett's Outdoor Warning Siren System with a new, state of the art system. This project is currently in progress, but will provide adequate and redundant siren coverage across the city. The above map details the completed siren installations and coverage (green circles), as well as incomplete/future siren installations (red and yellow circles). For more information, please visit the 2021 Bond Election website.
The old Outdoor Warning Siren System will be discontinued after the new siren system is able to provide full coverage to the old systems' coverage area.
Do not call 911 to ask why the warning sirens have been activated. Only call 911 if you have an emergency to report for Police, Fire or EMS assistance. Contact Rowlett OEM at 972-412-6230 for answers to questions regarding sirens and siren activation.
The City of Rowlett has an all-hazards system of ten Outdoor Warning Sirens that are strategically located around the City to alert citizens, who are outdoors, of approaching or existing hazardous conditions.
Because they are often associated with tornado warnings, Outdoor Warning Sirens are often considered "tornado sirens;" however, the term "tornado siren" is a misnomer that fails to capture the fact that these sirens serve as an all-hazards alerting system. Outdoor Warning Sirens may be activated for:
Sirens are not activated by an automatic system. Instead, an authorized City official must determine whether or not to activate the sirens based on the current threat(s). Additionally, the City is capable of activating individual sirens when a multi-siren or system-wide activation is unnecessary due to the limited geographical impact of a hazard.
If you hear a siren:
Do not call 911 to ask why the warning sirens have been activated. Only call 911 if you have an emergency to report for Police, Fire or EMS assistance. Contact Rowlett OEM at 972-412-6230 for answers to questions regarding sirens and siren activation.
The Outdoor Warning Sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of every month at 1:00 PM. The sirens are tested with a three minute blast that will fade in and out as the sirens rotate.
The sirens are not tested during periods in which severe weather is possible, in order to avoid confusion between actual severe weather and testing. A modified test, known as a "growl test," may be performed when overcast, and virtually no chance of severe weather exists. A growl test is simply a very low volume test. Additionally, growl tests may be used to test sirens after an initial test or when testing sirens outside of the regular date/time.
Siren tests from surrounding jurisdictions may also be possible:
Siren tests and test cancellations are typically coordinated with surrounding jurisdictions.
It is important to understand that these sirens are designed to alert those who are outdoors, and are not intended to alert people in cars, homes, businesses, or other buildings. It is possible to hear sirens indoors, but it should NOT be expected.
It is also possible that you may not hear activated sirens when outdoors. Several factors affect the audible range of sirens, including:
The City’s new OWS system is designed to provide 70 decibel (a FEMA standard; equal to a common household vacuum cleaner) outdoor warning coverage across the City. The City uses a “WAIL” tone operating between 410-675 Hz and a “WHOOP” tone operating between 300-465 Hz. These non-steady tones allow for an easier tone perception, compared to steady tones, by those outside.
The new OWS system is comprised of six-cell and ten-cell sites. The six-cell sites are designed to provide a tone output of 2400 watts and a voice output of 3000 watts. The 2400 watts provide an estimated 70dB coverage radius of 4,800 feet. The ten-cell sites are designed to provide a tone output of 4000 watts and a voice output of 5000 watts (the voice feature on the ten-cell sites will not be used for primary outdoor warnings). The 4000 watts provide an estimated 70dB coverage radius of 6,100 feet.
If you believe that the siren output at your Rowlett residence or business location is below the designed 70dB OWS system minimum, you may request that Office of Emergency Management staff collect a sound sample from your property. Please email requests to oem@rowlett.com.
A sound sample will only be collected:
Sound sample results will be emailed to the requesting party and posted on the City's OWS Sound Sample Results webpage.