Siren reserved for tornados
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A concerned citizen brought up the issue and wondered why the siren did not go off during Thursday’s storms, damage of which was said to be from straight-line winds, not confirmed tornadoes. Others said they have not heard the siren as often as they used to.
According to 911 officials, city Safety Committee member Rickey Jones and Emergency Management Agency Director Richard Myers, the siren is only being activated for tornado warnings.
Jones said members of the city board had received some complaints about the siren going off too much and the policy was changed by Safety Committee members some time last year, but he disagreed with the change.
When originally installed in the spring of 1999, officials had agreed the siren would be set off for severe weather warnings, not watches, but emphasized there would be siren blasts for both tornados and severe thunderstorms.
Officials at that time also said they planned to install four sirens at various locations around the city, but to date, the only siren operating is located at the Civic Center. Another siren has been installed at the water department, but has not been activated.
Fiscal year 2002-2003 budgeting may provide for up to $60,000 for a new system, City Administrator Herb Llewellyn noted. Mayor Royce Davenport said he believes the current system does not cover the city very well and noted a high-tech system, if approved by board members, would consist of four sirens that would cover the whole town.
Myers said his advice remains the same as what he advised upon installation of the siren in 1999.
“Severe thunderstorm warnings are just as dangerous as tornado warnings,” Myers said Friday. “This last 24 hours proved that, but the city is pursuing to my understanding, a new warning system,” he added.
Davenport said if a new system was implemented, siren alerts would be for both severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.