Christian County Fiscal Court worked to continue its outdoor warning siren project Tuesday morning, when magistrates unanimously approved for Don’s Mobile Radio of Evansville, Indiana, to install a Federal Signal implement in the City of Hopkinsville.
Made possible with federal grants, it’s the fourth such device alongside two new ones in Oak Grove and another in Pembroke, two of which have been connected and tested in the last couple of weeks.
According to Emergency Management Director Randy Graham, those three sirens were bid out in 2023, with two of them needing new locations before being placed. Phillip Peterson, judge-executive pro tem with Jerry Gilliam’s visit to Washington, D.C., asked for clarity.
Graham also noted that Federal Signal’s reliability made them a clear fit for Christian County.
Peterson and Graham both noted that Fairview and Lafayette both have outdoor sirens courtesy of a previous federal appropriation, and Graham said this was because — a few years ago — another federal grant brought 12 additional sirens online, many of them spotted throughout the county in areas with limited, or no, cell service.
Any FEMA grants, Graham noted, ask for a decent amount of population within a ring of service be affected before applying.
Squire Rich Leibe asked if Oak Grove’s two sirens were loud enough for Oak Grove Racing & Gaming patrons to hear, in which Peterson said these sirens served a different purpose.
Graham confirmed that all of Christian County’s sirens are tested the first Tuesday of every month.
In other court news:
— Magistrate George Barnett said 17 roads in the middle of extending or upgrading, almost halfway through engineering and design over the next six weeks or so…
— Citing budget season, Magistrate Josh Turner said constituents are still thinking about, and waiting patiently, for county-related animal control.
— Magistrates also approved a surplus list for the Christian County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Tyler DeArmond said of six vehicles, three, all with nearly 200,000 miles, will be auctioned, and three other vehicles will be junked.
