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Community
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Written by MARK JAEGER
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Wednesday, 05 October 2011 16:24 |
American Signal official says installation of upgrades to warning system were always intended for fall
The Village of Saukville will be getting its warning system siren upgrades, after all.
Village officials were concerned after not hearing from American Signal Corporation about improvements to the siren system, which had been promised at no cost to taxpayers.
The worries have now been set aside, as a company official said plans to convert the storm-warning sirens to a low-band signal are on track for later this fall.
“I don’t know if there was a misunderstanding on the village’s part, but we’ve said all along that the upgrades would be made in fall and we intend to honor that promise,” said Chris Roller, sales manager for American Signal.
In February, village officials began talking about whether it was worth the money to convert the village’s five weather sirens to a low-band width system by the end of 2012. That is when a federal mandate takes effect.
Emergency Management Director Jack Morrison contended that the pole-mounted sirens represent Cold War technology that have outlived their usefulness.
Morrison told village officials they should consider eliminating the sirens, and their related maintenance costs.
Before village trustees got a chance to vote on whether to pull the plug on the warning system, a representative from American Signal said the needed upgrades would be made at no cost to the village.
Dale Moeller, president and CEO of the Milwaukee company, reportedly authorized the offer because he wanted to ensure the safety of a neighboring community.
Last month, Morrison told the Public Safety Committee he had yet to hear back from American Signal about the promised installation, but Roller said that misunderstanding has been cleared up.
“In addition to converting the sirens to the low-band system, the village will be getting a control that will allow emergency management and the county to activate and monitor the system remotely,” Roller said.
“This will end up being even more than the president of our company asked for. It is a lot more equipment and time than we were originally talking about. It is a very nice deal for the community.”
The company manufactures and services warning sirens in all 50 states and 60 countries.
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