PITTSBURG, Kan. —
Pittsburg city commissioners gave the go-ahead Tuesday night to the Public Works Department to upgrade tornado sirens after their failure to sound in the Feb. 28 storm that saw straight-line winds in excess of 100 mph.
Some sirens did not sound because the storm knocked out power before the warning was issued, according to Public Works Director Bill Beasley.
Beasley requested authorization to purchase battery backup for existing sirens, to purchase and install a central station control, and to replace three older sirens at a cost of between $114,000 and $150,000. Funds would come from general obligation bonds.
Since the storm, the Public Works Department has evaluated the storm warning equipment, which includes 13 sirens throughout the city. Beasley met with a representative from Washington Electronics to discuss proposed improvements.
The city’s five Vortex storm sirens, which are newer, are located at Lakeside Park, 27th and Joplin streets, Potlitzer Street and Broadway, Adams and Rouse streets, and the Southeast Lift Station on South Rouse Street. They have battery backup, while three Thunderbolt sirens dating to 1984 located at City Hall, Schlanger Center and Lincoln Center do not. In addition, five Federal sirens throughout the city do not have battery backup.
“You can’t do battery backup with old sirens,” Beasley said.
He recommended that the five Federal sirens be converted for battery operation and that the three Thunderbolt sirens be replaced, so all sirens would have battery backup.
“That way, if we lost power we would still be able to operate the sirens,” he said. The batteries have an estimated life span of two years.
The commission also approved Beasley’s request to seek bids on the installation of a central station control through which all the sirens can be monitored, tested and activated. Such a system could conduct a silent test by sending signals to each siren at a scheduled time year-round, and the controller would notify the user of any problems with the system. Currently, all sirens are tested every two weeks from March to October to ensure they are operational, Beasley said.
“That would save manpower of 13 people monitoring them every other week,” Beasley said.
The commission also approved his request to pursue bids on an additional program that would allow for the automatic, computerized activation of the sirens when the National Weather Service issues a warning. Currently, a staff member activates the sirens through the console at the Beard-Shanks Law Enforcement Center.
Commissioner Pat O’Bryan called it a “great idea.”
“It’s time we have this all done,” he said.
Veteran honored
AT THE MEETING, state Rep. Terry Calloway, of Pittsburg, presented a framed certificate from the Kansas House to Homer Cole, a World War II veteran who flew 19 missions as a tail gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress. He was nearly shot down on April 10, 1945, and was highly decorated with military medals.
WHEN COLE CAME HOME to the Pittsburg-Joplin area, he operated bowling alleys, coached, served as the Joplin Parks and Recreation Department director, was elected to the Pittsburg City Commission, and served in numerous civic organizations.
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