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Fulton County to train dispatchers and tweak siren policy; new protocol includes severe thunderstorm thresholds
Summary
The county’s 9-1-1 director told commissioners that dispatch staff will begin multi-week training ahead of a June system rollout and that the county’s siren protocol will be revised to allow activations for severe thunderstorm warnings with winds above 65 mph.
The county’s 9-1-1 office plans a two-week training regimen for dispatchers and a change in how community warning sirens are used, the 9-1-1 director told Fulton County commissioners at the April 7 meeting.
Britney, the county’s 9-1-1 director, said the office is on a timeline to “go live” with a new priority dispatch system in June and will split training across two weeks to accommodate staffing schedules. "Dispatchers will be training, for 2 weeks," she said, adding that the split schedule helps employees with shorter work weeks.
Britney also described an update to the county’s public warning policy: in addition to tornado warnings and verified funnel-cloud sightings, the new protocol allows activation of warning sirens for severe thunderstorm warnings when forecast or observed straight-line winds exceed 65 miles per hour. "The new protocol basically states ... the warning sirens could be activated with severe thunderstorm warnings with winds in excess of 65 mile per hour," she said.
Why it matters
The change reflects shifting storm behavior and local concern about straight-line wind damage. Officials said the adjustment aims to make activation decisions more consistent with current weather patterns while avoiding unnecessary activations.
Staffing, coordination and community outreach
Britney said she had met with Sheriff Heichman and Chief Deputy Matt Utter to refine call categorizations and response protocols. She also described post-storm debriefs with the county’s EMA office and praised recent interagency communication during a series of storms. The department is also planning a siren meeting with fire and township officials and expects to discuss equipment maintenance, placement and electricians needed for siren upkeep.
Britney asked for caution around storm-tracking and public messaging, saying that early stages of the new protocol produced ambiguity about when to sound sirens. "...we're gonna have to be cautious and make sure that we're reading it and it's really close to Pulaski County before we activate those," she said, describing efforts to avoid false alarms.
The department also noted staffing updates: one new dispatcher has completed training in April, and another is expected to finish by month’s end. Britney said telecommunicator appreciation week and community outreach efforts — including school presentations on how 9-1-1 works — are scheduled in coming weeks.
