SOMERVILLE RESIDENTS GET NEW SIREN FOR WEATHER EMERGENCIES

  

Thanks to private donations, Somerville residents will now hear a warning siren to alert them to weather hazards, which will give them time to get to a shelter.

The new siren is mounted on a pole near the city public works shop on State Highway 36 South, and will sound in an emergency by the Somerville Volunteer Fire Department and the Somerville Police Department.

The siren that was in use until recently, eventually quit working, and there was no money to replace it.

In 2013, some long-time citizens decided that the siren was still valuable, and an organization called Voice in the Ville began the grass roots process of raising money.

The new siren cost $20,000, and there was still the question of the installation location, as the tall pole that the original siren was mounted on had been removed.

The fundraising efforts came up $7500 short, which was then made up by Citizens State Bank and Koppers Industries, along with other civic organization.

The new siren upkeep will be provided by the city, and will be tested every month or so, and will allow residents to hear the warnings even if they are outside and cannot hear the news.

When the National Weather Service sends a notification, law enforcement will sound the warnings, which will also include tornados and hazardous spills.