New changes could be on the way for tornado sirens in Miami County

MIAMI COUNTY — Some new changes could be on the way for Miami County’s tornado sirens.

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The Miami County Communication Center said it’s seen an increase in tornadic activity, so they’re looking to improve siren communication. There are 30 sirens total in the county.

On June 8th, when a tornado touched down near Tipp City, the Miami County Communication Center said there was some confusion on whether the sirens went off.

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“We believe that they went off but we don’t have a two-way communication with the sirens from the center to see whether or not they received the signal when they were activated,” said Jeff Busch, Director of the Miami County Communication Center.

Busch said the county activates the sirens if the area is under a tornado warning.

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“We don’t have any way to tell for certain that it received the tone and the siren went off,” Busch said.

That’s what they’re trying to change by possibly upgrading the center’s technology.

“So either adding a two-way radio that talks back and forth to the center. The other thing we’re looking at is whether cellular technology would be a good option,” Busch said.

These are just ideas that have been brought up to county commissioners, and they’re in favor.

It’s too soon to name a price of how much the upgrades would cost the county, but Busch says you can’t put a price on saving lives.

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