Jackson fire siren may get new life as storm alert

Fire chief Brad Golden will address Jackson's board of aldermen tonight about refurbishing an old city siren to use as a city storm warning system.

The old siren, located at the city's power plant for years, was once used to call out firefighters when the town had an all-volunteer department. Depending on the pattern of the siren, firefighters would know which ward to go to, said Don Schuette, the current electric utility director for the city.

Schuette said that he knows the siren works because the department has quickly turned it on and off. The siren is currently at a motor shop, he said, where electricians are making sure everything is in order.

Golden said the siren is a large one, louder than most on today's market, and it should reach all the city's parks. Schuette agreed.

"That thing is loud," he said. "You'll be able to hear it."

Golden said if the aldermen approve the use of the siren for storm warnings, it would only be used during tornado warnings for Cape Girardeau County.

First, the city would test the siren, notifying the public through the media the precise times residents would expect to hear it.

Then the fire department would make efforts to educate the public on what to do when they hear the siren -- seek shelter and get the latest information on the radio or television.

The idea came to Golden after the SEMO Fair Association donated a $20,000 siren to the city of Cape Girardeau to be installed at the Arena Park. That siren was dedicated in early May. The city has tested it once, on June 1.

Cape Girardeau city officials hope to have enough sirens one day to reach all of the city's parks. Cape Girardeau assistant fire chief Mark Hasheider said the city and a civic organization are working out the details of another siren at Arena Park that will probably be announced in the next few months. The city also benefits from a siren at the Southeast Missouri State University.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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