KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo's emergency management department is changing when it tests its emergency sirens after a Sunday test sent residents scrambling.
The test went off Sunday, and Kalamazoo Public Safety posted notice just 9 minutes before the sirens sounded.
Julia Gilland, a Kalamazoo neighbor, said she was on the phone with her sister when the sirens started.
"The sirens start going off. And I'm like, 'Is it Saturday? Nope. It's Sunday. It's not the first of the month. Oh my God. What's going on?' Fumbling around, trying to get my dog and get into the closet," Gilland said.
When I asked Gilland what she did when she heard the sirens, her answer was simple.
"I panicked," Gilland said.
She was not alone. Dozens of neighbors shared similar reactions.
"Nobody knew what was going on," Gilland said.
Gilland said the short notice was unacceptable given the technology available today.
"This is Kalamazoo. It's not like back in the 50s and 60s, where you don't have the technology. You've got all this technology to tell people what's going on. Use it," Gilland said.
Kalamazoo's city emergency management department apologized for the short notice in a phone call with me on Monday.
Going forward, Kalamazoo Emergency Management says siren tests will be held on the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. That schedule will also include Portage and other areas of Kalamazoo. Officials say they heard the community's concerns and are responding in the best way possible moving forward.
Watch Julie Dunmire's video story below:
For Gilland, the experience was nerve-wracking, to say the least..
"Heart-wrenching. Terrifying," Gilland said.
Residents should also be aware that sirens will sound again Wednesday, March 18 at 1 p.m. as part of statewide testing.
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