15-05-2025
Buckhannon reactivates fire siren for Strawberry Festival
BUCKHANNON, (WBOY) — The Buckhannon Fire Department has installed and reactivated the fire siren in the city, which will sound for two minutes at the start of the West Virginia Strawberry Festival Fireman's Parade on Friday.
Although the siren will be used to celebrate firefighters at the festival, the rest of the year, the siren will be used as an emergency indicator for people in the downtown area. Although it is called a fire siren, the siren can be used to warn and imminent danger to people or property, including life-threatening incidents and natural disasters, such as severe flooding, thunderstorms, wind, tornados or winter weather.
Each time the siren is used, it will sound for two minutes to signal imminent peril.
According to an alert from the Upshur County Department of Emergency Management, the siren can also be used to signal the end of a threat.
'When an alert has been issued due to a potentially severe storm in the area, an 'All Clear' message could be sent when the danger has passed.'
West Virginia Strawberry Festival 2025: Full schedule
Alongside the reactivated siren, the Buckhannon Fire Department, Buckhannon Police Department and Upshur County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) have developed a safety alert protocol utilizing online resources. When residents hear the siren, they can visit the Upshur County DHSEM website or Facebook and X pages for immediate information on the threat.
Residents can also sign up for alerts through the NIXLE Emergency Alert System, just sign up online here.
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