New Song Of Sirens To Warn Wildwood

Installation of the new warning sirens for St. Louis County is on schedule, with a network of more than 100 set to be fully operational by August, according to county officials. Wildwood stands to gain quite a bit more warning notifications as a result.

David "Duff" Barney, director of the county's Emergency Communication Network, confirmed that about 60 of the sirens already have been installed. Although not fully operational, he said the new sirens have been connected and can be used to notify residents in case of severe weather.

“The contractor has not certified those sirens yet, but under our agreement, we can use them in case of emergency,” Barney said.

Some of the county’s 210 existing sirens date back to the 1960s. As Eureka-Wildwood Patch reported in January, as many as 35 sirens were working poorly or not at all. The older speakers rotated, and were prone to mechanical breakdowns. The new sirens have a “beehive” speaker system that broadcasts in all directions and are less likely to malfunction.

Ryan Thomas, Wildwood city engineer and director of public works, told Patch the new system also will have a voice messaging feature to alert residents of any type of non-weather situations, in addition to the typical capabilities for severe weather.

"Once completed, the entire city of Wildwood, as well as all of St. Louis County, will have coverage," he said. "This is significant, because there was only limited coverage west of Route 109 previously."

.  Additional sirens are being installed on county and state properties within Wildwood's boundary, as well.  All towers will be installed and maintained by St. Louis County representatives, Thomas said.

However, residents in at least one Wildwood neighborhood, The Villages of Cherry Hill, voiced concerns about the placement of one of the new sirens constituting an eyesore and safety hazard.

The new sirens are part of a $125 million effort to replace St. Louis County’s existing sirens with 185 new models, increase the coverage to 98 percent of all St. Louis County residents and improve 9-1-1 capabilities and first responder communications. The project is paid for by a 0.1 percent sales tax voters approved in 2009.

Another benefit of the new sirens is that they also give instantaneous feedback on their functional status, so there should be fewer instances of down time due to needed repairs.

The county’s Office of Emergency Management staff warns residents the new system is designed to be heard outdoors only, and for residents to secure weather alert radios inside homes and business.

The St. Louis County Police Department's Office of Emergency Management staff will continue to use the old system and keep it functional.

The American Red Cross staff currently offers a 15 percent discount on weather alert radios until June 30 at the Red Cross Store. Use the code ALLReady2011 at checkout to receive the discount.

Editor's Note:  The countywide siren test is on the first Monday of every month at 11 a.m., weather permitting. To report a siren that does not sound during the test and is in need of repair, e-mail Michael Smiley, OEM director, or call 314-628-5400.