Sparta Scheduling Weather Alert Coverage Evaluation For Third Siren

A coverage evaluation of weather sirens in Sparta will be conducted next month to gauge the need for a third.

City Administrator Brad Hennessee said comments of alerts not being heard in a recent weather event caused the city to assess the situation.

“There’s mixed information about how we got to two, and we don’t know for sure if we need a third one, but the only way we are going to find out is through that coverage evaluation,” Hennessee said. “It is a matter of public safety.”

Hennessee said the evaluation could be conducted as soon as the first week of July. Hennessee said the two current sirens have been evaluated since the claims and are both operational.

“We talked to the company sometime last week, and they said it would be scheduled in the coming weeks.” Hennessee said. “So at that time, it was looking like the first or second week of July. There is not a firm date yet.”

Sparta’s weather sirens are located at Church Street and near the city water tower. Hennessee said installing a third siren would cost about $20,000.

“We just saw it as an opportunity to improve the weather sirens if there is in fact a need for a third one,” Hennessee said. “Some people thought they might have missed the siren going off. We evaluated the system to make sure we don’t have problems.”