Fire Sirens No Longer Being Activated For Fire Calls
As we reported on Friday afternoon, fire sirens are no longer being activated for fire calls.
They will still be activated during tornado warnings and other public awareness events, as deemed necessary by Emergency Management.
Newberry County Dispatch will activate the fire sirens once a quarter to ensure they are still working and will still activate the take cover warning during Severe Weather Awareness Month, which is typically in March.
With the addition of multiple ways to notify emergency personnel of calls in their coverage districts, the sirens have become an outdated way of alerting members about emergencies. This has also allowed dispatch the ability to shorten the tone out time, allowing them to get the message out about emergencies sooner.
Newberry County Emergency Services understand that this has been standard procedure since the mid-1960s and they have served the communities well, but with new technology comes quicker and more reliable means to notify first responders of emergencies in their department’s coverage area. This is a change in policy and by no means does it mean the sirens are going to be taken down or that they cannot be activated if the need arises.
If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please feel free to contact Emergency Services Coordinator Brandon Wicker at 803-405-7769.
As we reported on Friday afternoon, fire sirens are no longer being activated for fire calls.
They will still be activated during tornado warnings and other public awareness events, as deemed necessary by Emergency Management.
Newberry County Dispatch will activate the fire sirens once a quarter to ensure they are still working and will still activate the take cover warning during Severe Weather Awareness Month, which is typically in March.
With the addition of multiple ways to notify emergency personnel of calls in their coverage districts, the sirens have become an outdated way of alerting members about emergencies. This has also allowed dispatch the ability to shorten the tone out time, allowing them to get the message out about emergencies sooner.
Newberry County Emergency Services understand that this has been standard procedure since the mid-1960s and they have served the communities well, but with new technology comes quicker and more reliable means to notify first responders of emergencies in their department’s coverage area. This is a change in policy and by no means does it mean the sirens are going to be taken down or that they cannot be activated if the need arises.
If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please feel free to contact Emergency Services Coordinator Brandon Wicker at 803-405-7769.
