Sirens

Every year on the first Saturday of April, the Cook Nuclear Plant performs an extended sounding of its early warning siren system as a part of its required annual testing. The regularly-scheduled first Saturday of the month siren test typically lasts for about one minute, but each April, the sirens sound for a full THREE minutes. Siren and other basic emergency information can also be found in the emergency information calendars that are produced by the Cook Plant and mailed annually to residents and businesses in Berrien County.

The electronic sirens are omni-directional, meaning they can be heard in all directions at once, and are an important part of the county's alert and notification system within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone radius of the plant in Bridgman. The extended test is an annual event in April, but residents should understand that typical tests do last less than one minute and the regular monthly tests happen on the first Saturday of each month at approximately 1:00 p.m. In the event of a real emergency, the sirens would sound for three to five minutes and residents should tune to local radio or television stations for more information.

If you have questions or would like additional emergency information calendars, visit Cookinfo.com, call 800-548-2555, or email. You may also email Gayle Bassett at the Office of Emergency Management, or call 269-983-7111, extension 4915, for additional calendars.