West Texas Sirens Cont'd from Cont'd+New Pics

[holler]

I read Lubbock is getting CodeRED, the same reverse911 system that our county is supposed to be using by the end of the month.

Having met the CodeRED saleslady for our area in person at a county comissioners meeting, I can say first hand she really cuts down on outdoor warning. They view it as a replacement for sirens altogether.

[CJ]

Lubbock makes really stupid decisions.

Keep in mind everybody, Lubbock is the town that got hit and heavily damaged from an F-5 tornado back in 1970.

I would have thought they would have learned their lesson, wouldn't you guys think so too?

So they got hit by an F-5, have sirens that are clearly in service and claim they don't. Yeah. That's real smart of them. Texas is right in the middle of tornado alley too, you would expect everywhere to use them.

Some towns just don't seem to understand, or at least their councils / mayors.

Correct!

Lubbock's emergency manager told NewsChannel 11 multiple times over the past few years that Lubbock's old siren system is in "non-working" condition and even the sirens that do work won't cover the newest parts of Lubbock (which is true). Lubbock has grown rapidly on the south and west parts of town in the last few years. Anyways, he is thoroughly convinced that since it would take millions of dollars of taxpayer money, that a Reverse-911 system is the cheapest and most effective way to go in the 21st Century.

Reverse-911 is slow and ineffective from what i've heard. Millions of dollars? For a siren system? Wowowowow, someone's a bit out of their mind. A system of 2001's would be $20k a piece, so for 50 sirens that's only $1m. Yes there is cheaper, and to be honest a system of T-128s would be far better.

Here, an example coverage map for a system of T-135 AC/DCs.


Now i heard they are what, around $28k a piece? $560k for a complete new system, plus activation equipment. They are in tornado alley, surely they could get a grant?

(Having said that, I don't know the acoustics of the area involved, land heights and such. This is just a general idea of what it would take to cover said area with a decent system of sirens.)

[Trey]

Lubbock wouldn't have as many terrain problems as Dallas or somewhere like that would. The buildings are not near as tall and Lubbock is completely flat.

I just don't understand how they think that this phone alert **** is going to be any more effective than sirens. And then to add to the fire, the Lubbock Tornado of 1970 (the F-5)...

[Thunderboltlover]

Which one in Quanah is used--the SD-10 or Model 2?

Or for different occasions?

I am sure Derek would know about the siren in Clark, SD

[Travis]

Which one in Quanah is used--the SD-10 or Model 2?

Or for different occasions?

I am sure Derek would know about the siren in Clark, SD

Who knows with the west texas towns. They either have them both hooked up, or forgot about the 2 when they installed the SD-10.

[CJ]

Lubbock wouldn't have as many terrain problems as Dallas or somewhere like that would. The buildings are not near as tall and Lubbock is completely flat.

I just don't understand how they think that this phone alert **** is going to be any more effective than sirens. And then to add to the fire, the Lubbock Tornado of 1970 (the F-5)...

Well then i would expect that to be a pretty good coverage map! If it was hilly they would need a good few more, and if the buildings were taller they would need a good few more. As i said before, still not precise though.

[Thunderboltlover]

Are the Lubbock t-bolts still operational (if the city presses a button they will sound since they are still hooked up)?

[Trey]

Are the Lubbock t-bolts still operational (if the city presses a button they will sound since they are still hooked up)?

I have no idea. The city says none of the sirens are operational. My guess (and this is only my guess), is that the sirens are still hooked up to power and could be sounded individually at each siren, but the controls at the emergency management office are no longer operational (if they're even there).

[holler]

I noticed from the pictures that the sirens are activated through a dedicated line relay. The phone line has probably long since been disconnected.

[Robert Gift]

I noticed from the pictures that the sirens are activated through a dedicated line relay. The phone line has probably long since been disconnected.

Would a wrong number start the siren?
Or must the siren "answer" the phone line and receive a code?