This is so sad...

[Alasiren1977]

What is wrong with people and their thinking these days?. I saw this video and it really is so sad that an area so prone to such killer tornadoes would get rid of their siren system and go with crap like "high tech gadgets" such as text alerts, reverse 911, and emails. While they are all fine to have as part of an overall warning system, scrapping the sirens is the most foolish thing I have ever heard of. Watch and see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSs3pcJqCM

[Antiwhoknows]

Not everyone has a cell phone or checks their email that often, and if they are outside or not at home, the next best thing would be the sirens. And 2001s are not outdated by any means.

[anepstad]

I think with technology system for text messages, email and reverse 911 these's system can fail or be out when you are still able to use sirens to warn the public of a major event. The 2001's are not out of date

[carexpertandy]

You need a cell phone, email address, or home phone-What if people can't afford to have any of that?

Cedar Park installed tornado sirens in 1997, and now they are outdated and inefficient-Maybe inefficient, but not outdated if 13 years of age and if these particular sirens are still made today(well not the SRN model, but 2001s are still made.)

Not working?-Fix it! These things are repairable! That's cheaper than getting something new that's not neccesarily needed.

If not everybody can hear them-Add more sirens!

Can only be heard 1.5 miles away-That depends on the siren's loudness, location, and how strong a person's hearing is! I live farther than that from some sirens, and can hear them!

You have to be outdoors to hear them-Not neccesarily, I've heard them from indoors before, even if every siren is not too close, but the indoors must be quiet. That also depends how close you live to them.

Blackboard Connect and Red Alert Systems are not a direct replacement for sirens! People don't always have their cell phones turned on or working, their computers turned on, working, or being used, or have their landline phones working! Sirens are IMO the best thing to warn people, because they will alert people without anybody having to use something that's their personal item! Cedar Park is making a big mistake here!!!!

[Alasiren1977]

You need a cell phone, email address, or home phone-What if people can't afford to have any of that?

Cedar Park installed tornado sirens in 1997, and now they are outdated and inefficient-Maybe inefficient, but not outdated if 13 years of age and if these particular sirens are still made today(well not the SRN model, but 2001s are still made.)

Not working?-Fix it! These things are repairable! That's cheaper than getting something new that's not neccesarily needed.

If not everybody can hear them-Add more sirens!

Can only be heard 1.5 miles away-That depends on the siren's loudness, location, and how strong a person's hearing is! I live farther than that from some sirens, and can hear them!

You have to be outdoors to hear them-Not neccesarily, I've heard them from indoors before, even if every siren is not too close, but the indoors must be quiet. That also depends how close you live to them.

Blackboard Connect and Red Alert Systems are not a direct replacement for sirens! People don't always have their cell phones turned on or working, their computers turned on, working, or being used, or have their landline phones working! Sirens are IMO the best thing to warn people, because they will alert people without anybody having to use something that's their personal item! Cedar Park is making a big mistake here!!!!

Well said!

I have been in many, many tornadoes, hurricanes, and severe weather events and there is one thing that is for sure, 9 times out of 10 the power is going to go out, if it is a bad scenario than the landlines ( and cell towers) will go as well. So that flushes the effectiveness of the everyday tv, internet, and regular radio transmissions down the toilet. Yes the sirens are just as vulnerable b/c they stand out in the elements during storms, but they were MADE for these type of situations. They now have battery back up, they have lightning arresters, and so on.

I have been in storms that the sirens (voice sirens specifically) were used before, during and after the storm. After the storm passes there is usually no power, cable, telephone service to instruct people what to do next. Considering the siren(s) made it through the storm they can instruct the general public on what to do next. Instant communication!! Nothing the end user has to worry about like "did my cell phone or weather radio make it through the storm, and if they did will they work"?

There are a flurry of uses that sirens can be used for, and towns like this think the "new technology" is the be all, end all to a comprehensive warning system. Well if history is one thing, it is consistent and it wont be "if" but "when" the next big tornado happens to hit that area, and it may cost them more than any amount of money can replace and that will be human lives.

[Jpressman8]

Thankfully Cincinnati (Hamilton County)has decided to install new sirens in the coming months,but they have also installed an F.S. Codespear system which is a reverse 911 system. I witnessed this system fail earlier this year. An alert went out for a missing teen at 7:30pm calls went out to zip coded areas and the system continued calling numbers until midnight. The teen was found at 8:45pm. Now that was just a small area of town could you imagine a mass weather alert? The phone lines would jam. Hamilton county has roughly 1.6 million residents. Not everyone is going to have internet and cell phones. It's very arrogant on Cedar Parks council members part to assume that. I foresee an elevated death toll in the event of a weather disaster from people not being alerted.

[r4tbolts]

Too bad they are going this route. Sirens even the Church bell tolling will notify the most people the quickest to alert the public something is up.

Diving a little deeper we have to ask why a community would give up on a 13 year old siren system. Perhaps continual complaints "we didn't hear the sirens". I would guess a great many communities have a frustration over the sirens not being heard after spending 20k to millions depending on the size of the community.

Cutting to the chase IMO the sirens produced today do not have the punch of those from 40 years ago that people recall and expect and this is how reverse 911, e-texts gets a foot in the door for primary warning. New generation sirens like the 2001 (and many others) are a grand let down once installed where the old sirens stood while citizens call City Hall saying we can't hear the sirens anymore in our neighborhood.

When people complain to City Hall they get the mantra well these are only sirens for outdoor warning that is why you don't hear them. But these same people are the ones that heard the T-bolt, Allertors, and other old school sirens just fine indoors from a pole only 5 feet away from the new gleeming cutting edge siren with all the bells and whistles. People aren't stupid and know when they are being sold BS. This leads to indifference and is how the reverse 9ll text warnings get the foot in the door. I am sure there is a many people in this communtiy that don't hear the 2001's and say well maybe this isn't a bad idea.

[Mysterious T-Bolt 111]

I don't believe my eyes! I'm agreeing with you guys! 2001's are not outdated! I could understand a Thunderbolt, but having a cellular system/ electronic system is a terrible idea because not everyone has all those things and even what are the people outside that don't have their electronics with them?

[Travis]

Cedar Park is in Central TX where they have almost no tornadoes.

[Jpressman8]

Cedar Park is in Central TX where they have almost no tornadoes.

Key word almost. Famous last words.