OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla., June 22, 2021—Okaloosa County and the Okaloosa School District will be testing an emergency system Wednesday at 9 a.m.

People living near a school will likely hear a tone and message coming over loudspeakers as the first official test of the new Okaloosa County Mass Notification System takes place, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The county, in conjunction with the school district, send out a test message through new speaker arrays located on every school campus.

These speakers will typically reach out clearly up to half a mile and the tone can often be heard for several miles, according to the release.

The Emergency Operations Center in Niceville and the school district have the ability to activate the new public safety notification system, designed as an early warning system for school, weather and other emergencies.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office news release