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If you hear a siren on Thursday, stay where you are, and don’t panic.

The city is conducting a test of the alarm signals at nine industrial plants for the third time since 2012. Residents can take advantage of the test to do their own drills in the event of a chemical spill, the city says.

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Alarm signals will be sounded at each of the participating plants between 2 and 2:30 p.m., and will last three minutes. They will be heard only in the areas the city believes could be at risk from a spill of toxic chemicals.

“The alarm is counterintuitive,” said Louise Bradette, the director of public security for the City of Montreal. “When you hear it, instead of evacuating and going far away, you should go inside and stay there.”

The city recommendsthat in the event of a spill, people go into their homes, shut off heating or cooling systems that bring in air from outside, and close their windows. People should also monitor the radio, and keep their phones free in case emergency workers need to call.