The question has come up as to why the City of Harrison's storm sirens did not sound today during the severe weather in the area.
The outdoor warning system is designed to warn people with a siren in case of a tornado that could impact the city.
Today, no tornado siren warnings were issued that would affect the areas served by the city's outdoor warning system. So, the system did not activate.
Our outdoor warning system is automatically "triggered" when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning that will or could potentially affect any part of the city limits.
"The siren system is designed to alert people outdoors and within hearing distance of each siren. Unfortunately, it was never designed for the entire county and/or people inside their homes or cars,” Lowery said.
“Our CodeRED system is based on the same concept. It was put in place to warn people within the city of emergent weather events, hazardous incidents, and other emergencies. However, when it is activated, it will also alert those in close proximity to the city,” he said.
Lowery explained, “CodeRED can also be utilized for smaller-scale incidents and only alert a small portion of the city if those are the only areas affected by the incident. An example would be a hazmat incident on the north end of the city that requires only a small area of evacuation. We can narrow it down to small areas if necessary.”
The City did replace one siren last year when parts were no longer available to maintain it effectively. Plans are in the works to replace two additional sirens of the same age this year. Lowery said, “But they are all functioning as of now. We test them weekly to make sure.”
I hope this helps the citizens understand the system and how it was intended to work. Please sign up for CodeRED alerts and take action when needed.
Chief Marc Lowery
Harrison Fire Department