Smyrna's tornado sirens will be wailing at noon today as part of the Cobb County city's efforts to help residents prepare for the potential of tornadoes.

The drill is a precursor to Saturday's "PrepareAthon! Family Expo," a series of seminars being put on by the city's emergency management agency at Smyrna Elementary School.

"We will be providing resources and educational opportunities to prepare our citizens for all types of disasters in their daily environments," Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon said in a statement posted on the Ready Smyrna website.

"Last September, the city of Smyrna enthusiastically embraced a new national preparedness campaign called America's PrepareAthon!," said Roy Acree, deputy fire chief and director of the city's emergency management agency.

"To tie into spring weather awareness, ReadySmyrna is hosting another PrepareAthon! this weekend," Acree said. "Smyrna Emergency Management Agency personnel have taken steps to reach out to business owners, discussing shelter-in-place plans, and encouraging participation in a citywide tornado drill scheduled this Friday at noon."

Smyrna is the first city in the nation to sign onto the America's PrepareAthon! initiative, and the city's program may become a model for cities across the nation, according to AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB.

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