The Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency will test a new warning system during Wednesday’s statewide tornado drill.

As sirens are being tested at 9:50 a.m., as will the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, known as “IPAWS” for short.

The system allows public safety agencies to transmit emergency information via radio, television, electronic billboards and cellular phones on a variety of topics, including weather warnings, earthquakes, 911 outages, notifications of potential civil dangers or emergencies, or the need to evacuate or shelter in place.

Alerts can be sent with a “geo-fence,” limiting the messages to a specific geographic area.

“This will allow us to quickly transmit accurate and authenticated emergency information to Mahoning County residents, keeping them updated and safe,” says Mahoning County EMA Director Andrew Frost III.

Severe weather alerts, the projected primary use of the system, originate at the National Weather Service and are activated for life safety weather warnings such as tornados and floods.

Other IPAWS alerts will originate from the Mahoning County EMA, with real time review by Ohio EMA and FEMA.