Chatham County Commission Approves Upgrade to Critical Siren Warning System

Chatgham County Emergency Management Agency
Savannah, GA – July 25, 2008

Today, the Chatham County Commission voted unanimously to approve the purchase and installation of 33 additional outdoor emergency warning sirens that will provide more than 90 percent of Chatham County with siren coverage.

The 33 new sirens, at a cost of $690,000, will replace eight old, outdated sirens and add 25 new sirens to the County inventory. Not only will the new sirens extend the existing coverage, but they will also allow for selective activation that was previously prohibited.

Chatham Emergency Management Agency Director Clayton Scott stated, “The approval of this program reinforces the dedication of the County Commission to public safety. The sirens will be installed where people are most likely to gather for outdoor activities and we’ll now have the ability to limit siren activation to only those areas of the county that are threatened.”

When activated they have a continuous wail for two minutes. This warning sound indicates that people should immediately go inside and turn on a radio or television for instructions. The warnings are primarily for tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, fires or extremely severe weather.

The sirens the county uses comply with a federally endorsed (FEMA CPG-1-17) audible range of two miles; this is the accepted standard and no electronic sirens currently exceed this range. The sirens have a rotating cabinet with four independently powered speakers that each transmits up to a range of two miles in diameter; if one speaker fails to transmit, the others continue to operate.

For additional information regarding the Chatham County emergency warning sirens, please contact CEMA at 912-201-4500 or visit their website at www.ChathamEmergency.org.