Tornado Siren Placement in Sedalia Examined
Monday night's final presentation to Sedalia City Council was from Sedalia Fire Chief Matt Irwin and Pettis County EMA Director Trisha Rooda and involved public safety.
Chief Irwin focused on the placement of future outdoor tornado warning sirens in Sedalia, noting that currently there are 14 within the city limits, with three of those on the Missouri State Fairgrounds. Each has an effective range of one mile.
“They are designed to be heard outside, not inside,” Irwin stated.
A June 5 test of the sirens revealed that the one located just south of 32nd and Kentucky failed to work.
Additional sirens for Sedalia are needed, he stressed, such as one for a subdivision currently being built in the southwest part of Sedalia.
But a new one costs $35,000.
A smaller version is available for $31,000, but they only have a range of a half mile.
Chief Irwin suggested buying five new large sirens at a cost of $175,000 in three phases.
Phase One would place a siren near Clover Dell Park and Smith-Cotton High School. Phase Two would place sirens in northwest and north central Sedalia, and Phase Three would place a siren in northeast Sedalia.
Councilwoman Rhiannon Foster suggested the City buy all five sirens at the same time and then made a motion to that effect.
Chief Irwin introduced Bruce Fisher from Blue Valley Public Safety (Grain Valley), who said that the large sirens are designed to be heard outdoors from 6500 feet away at 70 decibels.
BVPS has been in business since 1983 and currently maintains 6,212 sirens in seven states, according to its website.
Mayor Pro Tem Tina Boggess expressed her concerns about the siren situation.
“Can you tell my why the siren was taken out of Hubbard Park?” Boggess asked Rooda.
The EMA Director responded by explaining that in 2018, the siren was moved because “we were short in other places” and then went on to say that a new siren was placed near Menards and Kohl's.
“I'm asking what happened to the one at Hubbard. Where did it go?” Boggess asked again.
“One went to Nucor and the other went to Kohl's,” Rooda responded.
Chief Irwin confirmed that the siren at Hubbard Park was moved to Nucor Steel Sedalia. Two others were moved as well, in addition to the purchase of a new one. He added that those decisions were made by a previous fire chief, City Council and City administration.
”Just going on record, I want that siren back in Hubbard Park,” Second Ward Councilwoman Boggess told Chief Irwin. “However we can do it. I personally, with my folks who live in that area, want that siren back in Hubbard Park.”
Rooda noted earlier in the meeting that the cost to move a tornado siren from one location in the city to another would cost about $8500 (as of 2023).
She also mentioned other options besides sirens, such as downloading an “Emergency” app from American Red Cross, as well as purchasing a NOAA weather radio from a retailer such as WalMart for $35.
In the photo below is one of several slides Chief Irwin showed Council members illustrating siren coverage in the City of Sedalia, or "bubble reevaluation."
In the top photo: Second Ward Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Tina Boggess asks why the tornado siren in Hubbard Park was moved in 2018.
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Gallery Credit: Stacey Marcus
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