Tornado Sirens vs. Code Red Digital & Phone Emergency Notification – on Quorum Court Agenda, Tonight
February 17th, 2014 by Joe Burgess
After several years of attempting to get governmental assistance to help fund tornado sirens for Drew County, we’ve finally got funding to assist with the purchase of 27 tower sirens, which will be scattered around the county.
But as the years have passed by, many feel that the towers have been surpassed by digital technology, as the best way to go, to notify county residents of impending disanter, should it occur.
County 911 co-ordinator Michael Frisby presented the benefits of Code Red to the quorum court, at last month meeting. Watch that video here.
Mayor Allen Maxwell and MEDC director Nita McDaniel presented their support for the weather sirens to the Drew Central School board, Thursday night (since that was not announced, no video is available.)
Community comments range from favoring one system over the other, with some residents supporting each systems, to “I’ve lived here this long without either of them.”
The general consensus is that the sirens would benefit city residents more; while rural communities would be better served by cellular and landline phone notification. Then again, there are some areas in the county considered “dead spots.”
Expectations are that both sides will thoroughly present their best case, tonight. Also, a representative from Code Red has been invited to answer questions about their system.
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I do not think that the hard work that went into this system should be flushed down the drain with out asking everyone involved what they think and especially the people of Drew County that was counting on this system to alert them. The funds has been appropriated for the sirens and I can not see having to spend more money to see if the digital system will work and then having to set it up. You also need to consider that there are a lot of people in Drew County that does not have access to digital service. What are you going to tell them that can not be alerted through this system. (so sorry) Think before you flush.
If the county doesn’t want to pay for the sirens, so be it, but there’s no reason to pay for a service to text people when there’s a weather warning, when anybody who wants such warnings can get them for free from half a dozen different places.
Not everyone has a computer or a cell phone and what will happen when cablevision goes down, which happens quite often, a large downpour of rain will put them off the air.
So now we will have to buy cell phones, what happens if the cell towers go down, digital technology is great But good old standby warning systems do not need all the new tech stuff and we will not have to buy more tech to be safe, I for one can not afford another monthly bill with the way the economy is, please talk to more people before a hand ful of politicians make choices for the rest of us, we have enough of that coming from Washington DC