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Saline County judge says 7 of 45 tornado sirens are inoperable; encourages Code Red, NOAA radios and grant pursuit
Summary
Judge Matt Brumley told the court that seven of the county’s 45 tornado sirens are not working, that replacing them would cost roughly $259,000, and urged continued use of the Code Red alert system and consideration of NOAA radios and federal grant options.
Saline County Judge Matt Brumley told the Quorum Court at its May 2025 meeting that seven of the county’s 45 tornado sirens are not operable and that a turnkey replacement for those seven would cost about $35,000 per siren — roughly $259,000 total.
Brumley said the county switched its mass-notification service from Everbridge, which he said cost Saline County $42,433 annually, to Code Red. He told the court that the county now splits a $19,433 payment with Benton and Bryant and that Saline County’s share is $7,766 per year. He characterized Code Red as more robust and less costly than the prior system.
“[Tornado] sirens are to be used for outdoor purposes only and tell people to go inside and get more information,” Brumley said when discussing the National Weather Service guidance he brought to the court. He urged members to consider complementary solutions — specifically citing NOAA weather radios that can be purchased at consumer prices — and to work with municipal officials on maintaining warning infrastructure in incorporated areas.
Court members and attendees raised safety concerns. An attendee identified in the transcript only as an unnamed court participant said, “I personally think that these sirens save lives,” and described areas of the county where sirens are not audible. Another attendee offered to gather FEMA grant information and to work with congressional staff on possible funding options for siren replacement.
Brumley asked members to solicit constituent feedback and said he would meet with mayors about maintenance of sirens located in incorporated cities. He also noted that the county’s voluntary warning-tax receipts have fallen—from more than $50,000 five years ago to about $11,000 in the most recent year—reducing local maintenance funds. He encouraged staff and court members to explore federal grant options and other cost-sharing approaches.
What the court recorded - Nonoperable sirens: Judge Brumley stated that 7 of 45 tornado sirens in Saline County are not operable. - Replacement cost estimate: Brumley said a turnkey replacement cost would be $35,000 per siren, totaling about $259,000 for seven sirens. - Alert systems: Brumley said the county previously paid $42,433 annually for Everbridge and now uses Code Red in a cost-share arrangement with Benton and Bryant that leaves Saline County paying approximately $7,766 annually (as stated in the meeting). - Alternatives and funding: Brumley suggested NOAA weather radios as a low-cost alerting option and invited mayors and municipalities to discuss long-term maintenance. At least one court member offered to research FEMA funding and congressional grant opportunities.
Limitations and next steps The figures reported in the meeting were stated by participants and recorded in the transcript; some numbers and names were partially garbled in the audio transcript and should be confirmed in the official minutes or county procurement records. Brumley directed follow-up conversations with municipal leaders and encouraged members to collect constituent feedback; no formal vote or appropriation to purchase sirens was scheduled during the meeting.
