Don’t be alarmed if you hear loud sirens Thursday in different areas across Montreal.
The public alert exercise is intended to prepare for a major industrial accident and is being done at nine different factories in the city.
The drill will take place in factories as far east as Rivière-des-Prairies to as far west as Lachine. Suncor refineries in Montreal East and the Molson Coors brewery in the Ville-Marie borough are among the companies participating.
The tests, which are staggered throughout the afternoon and early evening, will begin as early as 4:30 p.m. in some areas. The latest drill will take place around 7 p.m. at Parmalat in Montreal West.
READ MORE: What is a Code Orange? Is Montreal ready for an emergency situation?
A full list of participating industrial companies and affected areas can be found online.
In the event of a real toxic leak, the city says people should quickly enter the nearest building. They should immediately close doors, windows and ventilation units.
Montrealers should also not head to their children’s schools or flood emergency phone lines if there is a major industrial accident.
A full list of instructions of what to do during such an incident can be found on the city’s website.