The sound of silence in Port Townsend

If you were waiting for the loud siren that was supposed to sound Wednesday morning at the Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven, there’s nothing wrong with your ears.

When members of the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management tried to test the all-hazards warning system, they found a glitch — the hand-held device that causes the loud siren to sound didn’t work.

“That’s why we test a system like this,” said Bob Hamlin, program manager for emergency management. “We need to know that its parts are all functioning.”

Hamlin said Wednesday’s glitch points out the need to test the system more often.

The county, in partnership with Port of Port Townsend, decided to test the warning system annually because of the noise involved with ringing the siren. The system will be tested again on Oct. 22 at 11 a.m.

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