2t22boy wrote:Whelen Rules wrote:
I have been watching this video too. Early VortexR sirens used a belt drive for the rotation and the fins helped prevent damage to the belt drive system. The VortexR now uses a direct gear drive mechanism that is stronger and the fins are no longer needed. The belt drive system stalled more frequently. We have the same era Vortexes here in town sometimes they stall briefly. We now sound this wail tone for tornado warnings and the recently implemented plan to activate them ONE round during a Severe Thunderstorm warning while a Tornado watch is in effect for our area. Very effective attention getting tone.
They should just use a different tone for Severe Storm Warnings W/ Tornado Watch.
Yeah but alot of times more tones equals more confusion, and we just want to get people inside out of harms way, wether it be a severe thunderstorm warning with high winds or a tornado warning. The meaning of the warning sirens will mean get in life is at risk. It is being run through the paper about the change of tone to better warn the growing city as well as what to do when they are activated. They are also trying to stress not to count on being able to hear the sirens inside even though the new wail tone will better penetrate because it does not stay at one pitch.
I was kind of skeptical because the steady tone is the national tone for severe weather, but many Tennessee communities and communities across the nation use the wail tone/attack tone as a signal for tornado warnings, and after hearing how effective this tone was in downtown coming from just one siren unit I changed my mind. It really grabs your attention more than the steady tone which could be mistaken for something else in the pitch range.
I was also skeptical that people might mistake this for a fire truck but once again I was proven wrong.
The sirens are meant to save lives. I think it could cause much confusion having many different tones for different things. If a city is going to use sirens for more than one purpose they should activate them in one tone proven to be the most reliable and say it is all purpose tone; get inside and listen to t.v. or radio broadcast for additional information. Have many different tones could cause panic because people won't know what to do for a particular tone.