Bloomington siren locations will be tested
A project to improve the control system of the largest coordinated outdoor alarm siren system in Minnesota is underway in Hennepin County. The transition to the new system requires several months of testing. The current system will not be decommissioned until the new system is fully functional.
The monthly tests held at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month will continue and both systems will be tested simultaneously. Residents should hear no differences on typical test/drill days. As the work moves across the county, the public may occasionally hear brief “growl tests” of 10-15 seconds meant to test individual sirens in their neighborhoods.
During monthly drills, some residents may notice minor changes or delays in siren sounds. These are not malfunctions. Instead, they are the effects of technicians working to fit two systems' tests into the same time period.
Site acceptance testing
Once sirens are installed, testing will be performed at each siren location. As a part of this testing, sirens will be sounded twice, both for 15-30 seconds each, including spin-up and spin-down times. Both tests are normally one followed by the other over a matter of several minutes.
The following Bloomington siren locations are scheduled for testing in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 1, 2026:
- 7650 W 86th St
- 6251 W Old Shakopee Rd
- 7400 W 106th St
- 3301 W 110th St
- 9401 Bloomington Ferry Rd
- 8145 Highwood Dr
- 8072 West 110th St
Siren testing in the afternoon may be cancelled or delayed due to weather conditions. The monthly test held at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month will still be held.
