Thursday, February 03, 2000
Area's ready for tornado season
Union Twp. tests system of 11 sirens
BY MICHAEL D. CLARK
The Cincinnati Enquirer
UNION TOWNSHIP — This community's first emergency siren system had its initial test Wednesday and worked well, township officials said.
The 11 sirens for this southeastern Butler County community were recently in stalled and all were activated for a short test at noon.
“We thought it would be best to set it off for the first time in February, with snow on the ground when people pretty much know there is not a tornado,” said Scott Bressler, projects manager for Union Township.
Originally, nearby Liberty Township was supposed to participate in the siren test in January, but delays in shipping its seven sirens made a two-township test impossible this time, said Liberty Township Administrator Nell Kilpatrick.
“We'll be ready by the spring tornado season,” said Ms. Kilpatrick.
Union Township resident Beth Fintel was loading her family van with groceries from the Tylersville Road Meijer store when the sirens began to wail, drawing the attention of some in the parking lot.
As a nine-year resident of the community, Ms. Fintel said she was comforted by the new emergency warning system, designed to alert residents to dangerous storms or tornadoes.
“It's nice to know they are there. Now if we are outdoors we'll know to take cover,” she said.
Mr. Bressler said extra emergency phone dispatchers were on duty at noon Wednesday to handle any calls from residents who might have been worried by the sirens.
Each of the 11 sirens in Union Township covers an area of about four square miles. Tests will take place at noon on the first Wednesday of each month.
Once Liberty Township's sirens are installed they will be controlled by Union Township officials, who unlike Liberty officials have their own emer gency dispatch center and emergency radio frequency.
Besides Union and Liberty townships, a number of other Butler County communities moved quickly to buy emergency sirens in the wake of a tornado that ripped through northwestern Hamilton County on April 9, killing four and causing millions of dollars in damage.
Middletown's 55,000 residents will soon have their first emergency siren system, and Oxford, Monroe and Fairfield have all added to their existing siren systems.
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