Atoka discusses mutual-aid siren agreement to send activation codes to neighboring towns; council took no action

City staff discussed a proposed mutual-aid agreement that would allow the City of Atoka to send activation signals to storm sirens in the neighboring towns of Tushka and Caney. The council held the item for discussion but took no formal action.

Staff said the proposed agreement mirrors one previously used with Stringtown and would allow Atoka to send a five-digit code to those towns’ siren systems when necessary. Staff emphasized that Atoka would only send the signal; the receiving town would remain responsible for whether the siren actually activates.

Council members and staff discussed operational details: the towns have varying staffing levels at their fire departments, and past tornado warnings resulted in significant delays at some stations when personnel were not present to activate systems. Staff said a replacement radio microphone had been purchased for Caney and that the agreement would not impose a financial cost on Atoka for activation.

The discussion also addressed a separate inventory of older sirens previously donated to McGee Creek State Park. Staff said they were trying to recover some units to keep them in the county; if returned, the city would evaluate whether to relocate or auction them. Staff noted a county emergency operations center exists and discussed the possibility of programming repeater channels so Atoka could reach widely across the county if towns requested.

Because the item was on the agenda for discussion only, the council did not vote; staff said they would continue to coordinate with the other towns and bring copies of the proposed agreement back for review.