Soon Evanston residents can expect a loud wake-up call once a month, courtesy of the city.

Beginning Dec. 4 the city will resume testing its six emergency sirens at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency silenced the sirens after the Sept. 11 attacks, said Cmdr. Michael Perry of the Evanston Police Department.

“They decided not to set the sirens off so as not to cause confusion,” Perry explained. “People might start freaking.”

This year the sirens will not be used in snow emergencies because city officials had not expected to be able to use them this winter, said Max Rubin, emergency services coordinator for Evanston.

Rubin could not say whether they would be used again for snow emergencies in the future.

The sirens will continue to be used to notify people in the case of other local emergencies, including tornados and nuclear threats, that would require residents to seek an evacuation shelter.

The sirens are located at each of the city’s five fire stations, located at 1332 Emerson St., 702 Madison Ave., 1105 Central St., 1817 Washington St. and 2830 Central St.

The sixth is attached to the boiler building at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave.

The sirens, which emit a 140 decibel-level noise, are mounted at such a height that the sound level dissipates before reaching residents’ ears, Rubin said.

Evanston began using sirens in the 1980s after being hit by a severe snowstorm in 1979, Rubin said. At that time the sirens were tested weekly.

“I used to favor the weekly tests,” Rubin said. “Now when you make repairs, you have to wait another month to test it.”

Although the sirens rarely are used, Rubin said that is all the more reason to keep them in operation.

But he said the city has received complaints about the sirens from some residents and as well as from Wilmette, where residents have complained about Evanston’s use of the sirens for snow emergencies, Rubin said.

This winter, Skokie will be the only town in the area that uses the sirens for snow emergencies.

Perry said residents generally accept the sirens despite the “loud, wailing” noise.

“When you hear it, you’ll know,” he said.

IEMA will observe Winter Storm Preparedness Week from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2.

The agency encourages residents to maintain emergency kits that include a 72-hour supply of bottled water and nonperishable food items, a battery-operated radio, flashlights with extra batteries, blankets and any necessary medications.