POCOLA (KFSM)- Some locals are complaining a town's sirens sound too much like a tornado siren, even when there is no tornado warning.
John Limbocker, emergency management director in Pocola said the sirens going off are not tornado sirens.
"They are actually outdoor warning devices,” Limbocker said. “A tornado is not the only thing you need to take shelter from."
When weather gets rough Limbocker flips the switch.
"The criteria are 70 mph winds or greater, hail larger than 2 inches in diameter, and severe lightning."
Limbocker said the sirens were heard for six minutes Sunday night (Oct 5).
“I could hear it real loud last night when it was going off,” Pocola resident Betty Walker said.
There’s a siren in Arkoma that can be heard from two miles away.
"It is kind of scary," said Delina Barnett who lives near Arkoma. "I’d rather them just go off whenever a tornado comes."
The emergency management team said the devices are tested on the second Wednesday of every month.
Limbocker said the city has been sounding the device for the past four years. He said each of the six devices costs around twenty thousand dollars.