Mayor and Aldermen Getting Serious About Tornado Warning Sirens for City

April 8, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Tornado warning sirens were on the minds of the Smithville mayor and aldermen during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting.

Mayor Josh Miller raised the issue during a work session last month with the aldermen and Smithville Fire Chief and DeKalb Emergency Management Agency Director Charlie Parker.

Automated tornado sirens strategically placed across the city could be set up to activate when tornado warnings are issued for this area. When the sirens are activated, they would sound alerting the public to seek shelter immediately.

Currently the city’s only outdoor warning alert is an antiquated siren atop the city hall building.

Since the work session last month Parker has contacted a company which conducted a survey of the town and made a recommendation on a system for the City of Smithville. In the package, Parker said the city would get two sirens, placed near either the hospital or high school, and at the airport. The projected costs for the sirens and automated software system to trigger it would be about $73,000. While the survey showed that two sirens would be sufficient to cover the city limits, Parker said the system would have the capability of adding more sirens if needed.

The mayor and aldermen will consider including funding for tornado sirens for the 2020-21 fiscal year during budget preparation meetings which are expected to begin soon.

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