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Etna Green council authorizes filing for grant to replace town tornado siren
Summary
The Etna Green Town Council voted to support the fire department’s application for a grant to replace a weak tornado siren and authorized Anne to sign required paperwork; the grant requires state and FEMA review and reportedly needs no local match if awarded.
Etna Green’s council voted unanimously to back a grant application to replace a malfunctioning tornado siren, a change fire officials said would significantly increase outdoor warning coverage.
Kevin, speaking with assistant chief Tyler Holderman and Olivia, told the council the town’s existing siren can barely be heard a mile away and described the proposal as a “state-of-the-art, rotating” unit that should reach a much larger area. “We used to barely hear it a mile out,” Kevin said. Olivia added that the federal and state review process will determine awards, with the state performing an initial review and FEMA providing final approval.
Chair made the motion to support filing the grant and to give Anne authority to sign the paperwork needed to submit the application; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Olivia told the council the grant program under consideration requires no local match if awarded, a point the council cited as making the application attractive.
Town officials also clarified how the upgraded siren would be triggered: the system can be set to activate from dispatch when the National Weather Service issues an official tornado warning for the area, eliminating the current practice of manual activation in some circumstances.
The council’s approval was procedural authorization to file the grant and sign associated documents; the transcript shows no award decision at the meeting. If awarded, officials said the project would require additional implementation steps and final FEMA approval before installation.
