Durham Region to test nuclear public alerting system on October 29 and 30

Whitby, Ontario – The Region of Durham will conduct its annual test of the nuclear public alerting system on October 29 and 30. The system is designed to warn people in the unlikely event of an emergency at the nuclear-generating stations in Clarington or Pickering.

The test will take place during daytime hours, over two days:

• On October 29, an auto dialer will call listed landline phone numbers within 10 kilometres of the nuclear-generating stations in Durham Region. The calls will appear as coming from 905-666-6291.
• On October 30, outdoor sirens will sound for up to one minute. The sirens are within three kilometres of the stations and will be heard by people outdoors and in that area.

To find out how you will be alerted, visit durham.ca/AlertMap and enter your address.

This is only a test, and no action is required if you receive a phone call on October 29 or hear the sirens on October 30. In a real emergency, upon hearing the sirens, you must go indoors and tune into trusted local media outlets or government channels for further instructions. Durham Region is required to test the Nuclear Public Alerting System as part of its responsibilities as directed by the Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan (PNERP).

 For more information, visit durham.ca/NuclearPreparedness, or call 1-800-372-1102.

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For media inquiries, please contact Corporate Communications.