Method for synchronizing a non-symmetrical tonal pattern in a wireless alerting system involves receiving at a plurality of alerting devices a beacon message. The beacon message is used at the alerting devices to synchronously generate a synchronization pulse signal comprised of a plurality of synchronization pulses which are periodic in accordance with a predetermined synchronization pulse interval. A cadence section indicator (CSI) in the beacon message is used in combination with the synchronization pulse signal to determine a portion of an alarm cadence to sound at each of the alerting device so that the alarm cadence is synchronized among the plurality of the alerting devices.