Wright City siren update held back by questions

By: Adam Rollins, Staff Writer
Posted 8/23/21

Despite a desire to forge ahead with replacement of Wright City’s three obsolete tornado sirens, city leaders are finding themselves stymied by a series of technical questions about the …

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Wright City siren update held back by questions

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Despite a desire to forge ahead with replacement of Wright City’s three obsolete tornado sirens, city leaders are finding themselves stymied by a series of technical questions about the replacement systems.

Aldermen have been pushing for new sirens because two of the city’s sirens are nonfunctional and not repairable. City Administrator Jim Schuchmann delivered an update on the replacement effort during an Aug. 12 public meeting. He said complications arose when he asked if new sirens selected by the city would be compatible with systems at the countywide 911 dispatch center.

“That’s a bigger question than just a yes or no answer,” Schuchmann discovered. He said the 911 center had outlined multiple options for how new sirens could be controlled, and that the option selected could change how the siren systems are configured.

The first option is similar to the current arrangement in which the 911 center has a control system for Wright City’s sirens. Under a bid submitted by siren vendor Outdoor Warning Consulting, Wright City would pay $1,750 for new control system.

Wright City could also upgrade to a more advanced rapid warning system, which would set off the sirens automatically whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning. That system would cost $9,650 to install.

Schuchmann said if the city continues with a manual system activated by 911 dispatch, it would be preferable to have something that will be compatible with future siren upgrades in other towns. That way, dispatchers aren’t scrambling to activate multiple separate siren systems.

“If you put 6-8 different push buttons on top of the desk at 911, you’re only asking for trouble,” Schuchmann said. To make a unified system work, the leaders of different town and county governments would have to agree on certain technical specifications, Schuchmann said.

He added that the dispatch agency is in the midst of updating its radio systems, introducing additional questions about how to configure the new sirens. That issue is outside the city’s control to resolve, Schuchmann said.

911 Dispatch Administrator Amy LaBanca said Wright City and other towns can sidestep some of those technical questions by upgrading to the National Weather Service’s automated rapid warning system. That would eliminate negotiations over having compatible control systems.

“It’s a moot point on only pushing one button if they purchase the rapid warning system, because then we don’t have to press any button,” LaBanca said. “It’s set off automatically when the NWS issues a tornado warning.”

Other towns might not even have to replace their tornado sirens to migrate to the automated control system, LaBanca said. She explained that it’s possible to install the rapid warning system on some existing sirens, depending on their age.

Tornado sirens, Wright City Board of Aldermen

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