Three tornado sirens fail to work during test in St. Joseph County

By John Paul (jpaul@wsbt.com)

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St. Joseph County Emergency Management tested tornado sirens on March 19, 2009. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Mar 18, 2009 at 4:36 PM EST

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2009 at 4:54 PM EST

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — St. Joseph County Emergency Management say it was human error that caused a siren to not work properly during a test Wednesday morning. Technicians are working to understand why two others did not work.

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With the exception of birds chirping and vehicles stopping at the intersection of Cleveland and Bittersweet roads, it was the sound of silence.

And, Emergency Management officials say, silence, in this case, is not golden.

"This is not something that happens on a regular basis," said Luther Taylor, Director of St. Joseph County's Emergency Management Agency.

EMA tested emergency sirens a little after 10 a.m.

When sirens did not go off as scheduled, Taylor went looking for answers. He found human error was to blame.

"The individual got busy, received a call from someone else that the test was over and realized it had not been conducted," Taylor said. "We certainly don't look forward to these oversights at all but that's what happened this morning."

Taylor also found two of the county's 67 other sirens were not working properly: Siren 26 on Beech between Dunn and Douglas and Siren 48 on Ireland between Elm and Culver.

"They usedto do it every other Wednesday, close to noon, I think," Larry Hunsberger said.

Hunsberger lives less than a mile from Siren 48.

"If I'm outside I hear them; if I'm inside, I don't hear them," he said.

Hunsberger adds, the towering warning device isn't his only lifeline.

"I've got Weatherbug on the computer which I look at quite often," he said.

Taylor said technicians will repair the sirens soon and once severe weather approaches, he says towering over St. Joseph County, Siren 48 and 66 others will be ready to warn.

Anyone who notices a siren not working properly can report the issue by dialing 2-1-1.

Check all the area watches and warnings on WSBT.com.

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