Clark County, Ind., to Fund Seven New Tornado Sirens

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(TNS) – Clark County is in the midst of trying to secure more outdoor tornado sirens.

Gavin Hebner, director of the Clark County Emergency Management Agency, said the agency wants to construct seven new tornado sirens in the county. He said each siren site costs about $40,000.

Hebner said there are now 24 sirens total in the county. The newest was funded and opened by the City of Charlestown. He said each siren has a radius of 1.21 miles.

Hebner said the department did a complete review in 2019 of its alert system, including sirens. He said at the time they noticed some gaps in outdoor siren coverage.

The company that provides the sirens then conducted a study to determine how to improve the siren coverage in the county. By the end of the study, an additional 25 sirens were suggested.

Hebner said they attempted to earn a $1 million grant that would fund the sirens from FEMA, but they were unsuccessful. FEMA would have covered $750,000 while the county would have covered the other $250,000.

After the storm event in April that left some houses in Clark County destroyed, the Jeffersonville City Council asked Hebner about the sirens since they said residents weren’t able to hear them.

“Everybody’s now aware and heightened, of what we’re wanting to do, with this recent tornado,” he said.

The Jeffersonville City Council voted May 6 to support their intent to fund one of the two proposed sirens to be placed in the city.

Hebner said Jeffersonville is well covered with sirens, with the exception of the east side because of the recent growth there.

He said River Ridge Commerce Center has one siren that touches the area, but Hebner said he doesn’t consider that area covered in terms of siren coverage.

Since the Jeffersonville Council meeting, Hebner has met with the River Ridge Development Authority about them working with Jeffersonville to fund a siren there as well.

Hebner also intends to meet with Sellersburg, Charlestown, Utica and Clark County Commissioners to determine how they might contribute.

He said he is submitting a proposal for the sirens to the commissioners with funding from the American Rescue Plan.

However, Hebner stressed at the Jeffersonville meeting that sirens should not be the only emergency notification that residents ought to rely on.

“I wanted to make sure that we’re not 100 percent relying on outdoor warning sirens as a community,” he said.

Sirens are actually meant for those who are outdoors. When a person hears a siren, it is a signal to go inside as quick as possible and find out why the siren went off.

He said all residents ought to sign up for their emergency alert system by texting ClarkWxAlerts to 226787.

“Knowing how to get the information…is one step of the preparedness process for personal preparedness,” he said.

Emergency Management pays to maintain 11 sirens, Jeffersonville covers 12 sirens and Charlestown will maintain its own siren.

Hebner said he’s hoping to at least get the funding secured for the sirens by the end of the year, if not completed.

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