Two new outdoor emergency alert sirens in the City of Greenville will receive their first test Wednesday.

The sirens, which were purchased with funds from a Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation grant, were installed July 10. The sirens were placed at Fort Robert E. Steiner and Dunbar Park.

The sirens cost $43,060, but thanks to the grant, the city was responsible for just $10,765. The city also paid $1,104.10 for the purchase and installation of two utility poles to serve as a base for the sirens.

The addition of the new sirens brings the total number of emergency alert sirens in the city to four. The city already had sirens located downtown near City Hall and near Walmart.

During the test, the coverage area will be monitored to determine the range of the city’s outdoor warning system.

Officials with the city say the sirens were placed strategically to reach the majority of the city’s population.

The test is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and will last for approximately one minute.

“We were very fortunate to get the grant that allowed us to install these sirens and expand our outdoor warning system,” Greenville Fire Department Chief Chad Phillips said. “They will certainly help us alert everyone of dangerous situations, but I’d remind everyone that these sirens are just one avenue to stay alert of potentially dangerous situations. There are many, many other ways to stay on top of these situations, like weather radios, apps for your phone, text alerts and the media. These sirens will be a big help in notifying people of potentially dangerous situations, but they don’t need to be the only thing our citizens rely on.”

Butler County E911 activates the warning sirens when a thunderstorm warning or tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service.