At 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, the test will be run simultaneously throughout Ohio.

In Akron, the emergency notification is delivered by fire apparatus sirens at each of the city’s 13 fire stations precisely at 9:50 a.m. as sirens wail across the region.

"This is an important drill for everyone," said Akron Fire Chief Larry Bunner. "Akron has been fortunate to not need to use this system for a very long time, so it is even more important that our citizens are aware of what this sound means."

Deputy Fire Chief Rob Ross added, "We also wish to encourage all homes and businesses to have a NOAA weather alert radio. Just as with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, a weather alert radio can alert residents to dangerous conditions and allow them to move to a position of safety."

Firefighters and paramedics will be pulling the necessary equipment to the driveway approaches at the neighborhood fire stations and triggering the sirens for the test that runs several minutes.

"We certainly want to notify our community in advance so they are not alarmed when they hear this tomorrow," said Chief Bunner. "It is also important for us that everyone understand what this sound means and what to do when we use it."

To learn more about severe weather safety and what to do when faced with a dangerous weather situation, go to: http://www.weathersafety.ohio.gov/ .