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County‑wide training facility explored; Logansport officials begin five‑year review of aging tornado sirens
Summary
Emergency management and fire officials described a proposal to pursue a Cass County Community Foundation grant for a regional firefighting training facility and presented a phased plan to address aging warning sirens; no city expenditure was requested at the meeting.
Cass County emergency management and fire officials told the public safety committee they have submitted a letter of intent to the Cass County Community Foundation for a $30,000 planning grant and are exploring a regional training facility that would serve Logansport and surrounding departments.
"We're pursuing that grant, and they're going through the Cass County Firefighters Association, the 503(c)(3)," said Rocky Buffum, director of emergency management, describing the cooperative approach among Logansport Fire, Cass County District 1 and emergency management. Buffum said the grant, if invited to full application, would be followed by a July submittal and an August decision window.
Buffum also reviewed the county’s tornado siren inventory and a five‑to‑ten‑year planning approach. He said 28 sirens cover the county—13 within Logansport—but many are end‑of‑life and vendor support is limited. He presented cost estimates: a new mounted siren with pole and hookups roughly $40,000 each; annual inspection/maintenance roughly $1,400–$2,000 per siren; and a retrofit of existing sites for remote activation approximately $203,000 for the fleet.
Nut graf: Officials asked city leaders whether Logansport wants to claim ownership of specific warning assets or join a phased replacement plan. No funding request was presented for 2026; officials sought feedback to guide the 2027 county and city budgets.
Discussion touched on technical and operational limits of sirens in urban terrain, possible complementing mass‑notification systems that require resident opt‑in, and the difficulty of enforcing or replacing all sirens. Buffum recommended a collaborative planning meeting among city and county elected officials and staff so the 2027 budgets can incorporate a shared strategy.
Ending: Emergency management said it will continue grant research and convene intergovernmental discussions; the public safety committee asked staff to organize cross‑jurisdictional planning ahead of the next budget cycle.
