By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

This is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week – the time for people across the United States to practice safety precautions and procedures when it comes to tornadoes and other severe weather.

One alert that sometimes confuses people is the outdoor sirens, when they are used and what they mean, and Pontiac Fire Chief Scott Runyon was here to explain this.

“You will not hear them inside your residence. They’re not designed for that. If you do, fantastic, if not, they’re not supposed to be. It’s designed for the people out enjoying the weather, riding bikes, that severe weather is coming. We’re going to set them off no matter what. Pay attention to your smart phone. The National Weather Service will send out immediate warnings anywhere within, I believe, it’s ten miles from their towers, what’s going on. Pay attention to when the weather is starting to look nasty. Get your radios on and turn your TVs on if you’re home. Just listen to what’s going on. They’re going to direct you. They’re going to be right on top of it and they usually are,” Runyon said.

Pontiac also doesn’t have an “all clear” siren. An all-clear will be given over NOAA Weather Radio, local television and radio stations and V-Com, formerly LivCom.

The City of Pontiac tests their sirens out at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday of every month, and most communities follow similar practices.