With the help of a $64,500 grant from the Ohio Development Services Agency, the City is replacing its tornado siren with a new, high-tech multi-siren storm warning system, including weather monitoring software. The five new tornado sirens will be placed throughout Hudson and will be able to notify a significantly larger area of the City about severe weather compared to the current one-siren system.
This highly advanced system uses the National Weather Service’s polygon system, which automatically activates the sirens when a storm is heading toward Hudson. This allows for more accurate warning.
Another feature of the new system is the capability to self-monitor its functions. An alert is sent to the Hudson dispatchers the instant something goes offline. Because of this, Hudson Fire Department can reduce siren testing from weekly to monthly.
The total cost for the system is $136,000. The City will contribute $80,000 of that amount. The sirens will be mounted on new poles to be installed in five areas throughout Hudson. Installation of the sirens is expected to start this week and will take 4 - 8 weeks.
"We are looking forward to utilizing the new, advanced multi-siren system," said Hudson EMS and Fire Chief Jerry Varnes. "Though the new system is more efficient and will cover more of Hudson, it is still important to use other forms of weather monitoring and emergency notifications."
Other forms of notification include setting up weather alerts on all family member cell phones. Also, have a back-up, battery-powered weather radio on hand and review what to do and where to go during bad weather. Learn more about tornado preparedness here.
The City also encourages residents to sign up for Hudson’s Code Red Emergency Alert System so you and your family will receive vital, real-time information during any type of emergency. When seconds count, we will notify you of urgent situations such as boil water messages, emergency evacuations, crime alerts, or other important information. Register your cell phones in Code Red to make sure you stay informed.
The City also has other methods of emergency notifications, including the website emergency notification service and social media (Facebook and Twitter). Visit the Emergency Communications page to learn all the ways you can be notified during an emergency.