Tuesday, Noon: All is Well

San Francisco is full of uncommon fixtures but perhaps the most unknown is the “Tuesday noon siren.”

Officially called the “Outdoor Warning System,” or OWS, it consists of 65 sirens located throughout San Francisco, including both Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands. Every Tuesday, at noon on-the-dot, the sirens scream out in unison for 15 seconds. Depending on where you are within the City, it can be anywhere from barely audible to freakishly loud.

The system originated as an early-warning air raid alert during World War II. It’s hard to fathom now, but San Francisco was on the Pacific front of the War and many warships were docked around the City, making an airborne attack a real threat. The system was maintained for more than three decades as a civil alert system, until the 1980s, when it fell into disrepair.

After the attacks of September 11th, the need for a city-wide warning system once again became a priority for the City, and the system was rebuilt and brought back into operation, thanks to a $2 million Federal grant, on March 9th, 2005.

Although there has yet to be an emergency activation of the OWS, it is tested every Tueday at noon to ensure it is functioning properly. Let’s hope the only time we hear these signature sirens is on Tuesdays at noon.