A tornado is a destructive natural event that’s to be taken seriously, so getting a warning of a potentially damaging storm is important.
Tornado sirens are one way that’s done, sending a loud signal that informs residents and business owners to take precautions.
However, tornado sirens are effective only if they are activated immediately and can be heard across a wide geographical area.
When people are charged with activating tornado sirens, the possibility of errors and delays — although unintentional — exist. For example, when a fast-moving storm hit Bartholomew County in the spring of 2017, the county’s 911 dispatchers were so swamped with emergency calls that there was a 19-minute gap between the time the National Weather Service issued the warning and the time the county’s 18 sirens were activated.
When dealing with tornados, such a delay can have terrible consequences.
That’s why we’re glad to learn that Columbus is investing $25,345 in new technology that will automatically activate tornado sirens when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Bartholomew County.
Doing so will take out the need for the human element and the possibility of human error.
The automated system will work in conjunction with the National Weather Service and Everbridge, the county’s emergency notification system, and activate the sirens without assistance from 911 dispatchers — who can remain focused on handling incoming emergency calls.
The automated system should ensure the immediacy residents need for such events.
And the modest cost for the system is money well spent when considering the potential cost in lives.
