Published: May 14, 2008 08:23 am            

County to get more emergency sirens

BEREA — Madison County Fiscal Court approved a contract Tuesday that will more than double the number of emergency warning sirens in the county’s network.

In a unanimous vote, the fiscal court gave approval to negotiate a $743,763 contract with Safer Services to increase the number of sirens from 29 to 65 sirens. The contract enables the county to upgrade 19 sirens in addition to buying new ones.

Madison County Emergency Management Agency Director Carl Richards said the growth of subdivisions in previously undeveloped areas has prompted the need for the additional sirens.

The new sirens will give the county a farther reach when it comes to warning residents about potential dangers, whether it’s severe weather or an chemical accident, Richards said.

“It will enhance the outdoor warning capability dramatically,” Richards said. “Each of the new sirens cover a half mile, and the ones I’ve upgraded cover about three-quarters of a mile or eight-tenths of a mile. When you look at that number of sirens, we’re going to cover the county way better than we ever have.”

The original sirens were installed approximately 14 years ago, but technology has changed since then. Now, specific sirens can be activated, such as if a chemical spill on Interstate 75 affected only certain neighborhoods.

The system also can be selectively activated for emergencies at certain schools, such as a shooting, or other non-weather related emergencies.

However, one thing that hasn’t changed is that the National Weather Service can continue to activate sirens throughout the county if there is a severe weather emergency.

The new upgrades also will mean that Richards or his staff can activate sirens from their homes using a computer password instead of them having to drive to the county dispatch center to push a button.

Most importantly, more people than ever before can be warned of danger quickly, Richards said.

“We’re purposely covering all of those high-population areas that currently have no coverage,” Richards said.

In other news, the court:

• Unanimously approved a measure to increase the mileage reimbursement to $.43 per mile. Currently, the state reimbursement rate is $.45. Officials said the increasing cost of gasoline has prompted the need for the increase.

• Approved a pay request for the Executive Park Sewer District project for $32,000. Madison County Judge Executive Kent Clark said the project was carried out at a cheaper cost than expected.

• Approved a last pay allotment of $35,437 for Hope’s Wings.

• Richards reported that the Madison County Safety Fair was well attended, drawing between 2,000 to 2,500 people.

Register News Writer Ronica Shannon also contributed to this article.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.