Last Friday, the City of Bristow sounded tornado sirens as a dangerous storm approached and a tornado warning was issued for the Bristow area. However, some citizens in areas of the city did not hear the warning.The sirens simply are not loud enough in certain areas of town. As a result, I set out on a mission to determine why.
While attempting to discover why sirens are inaudible in some areas of town, I learned a few things. Apparently, the city does not possess a map of siren locations. If one exists, the people with whom I spoke do not know where such a map might be kept. Also, the process of sounding the sirens and identifying which entity is responsible for warnings and resultant issues seemed a little confusing.
Initially, I spoke with Bristow Police Department, BPD, who noted they would let the Bristow Fire Department, BFD, know that sirens were inaudible in some areas of town. Based upon my understanding of our conversation, BFD is responsible for the sirens. However, upon calling BFD, it eventually became my understanding that BPD determines when the sirens sound and BFD is responsible for physically going to siren locations; although, my understanding may be inaccurate as it seemed a bit complicated.
As a backup measure, BFD personnel advised residents to download a weather app to their phones for alerts in lieu of siren warnings. Unfortunately, not all cell phones received alerts Friday morning—even within the same household. The concerning issue made state and national news when families nationwide reported that some household members received alerts while others did not. No entity determined why the issue occurred. Suppositions included that phone make and model, device age, carrier, and cell tower proximity all may have contributed to the issue. Despite all warning and alert issues, one thing remains certain: alerts have the potential to save lives—when audible and heeded.
As I write, I vow to continue to learn more about the City’s warning system in place for Bristowans. I firmly believe that the City of Bristow wants every citizen to hear warning sirens and desires to preserve citizens’ safety and lives. Hopefully, the siren issue is a temporary hiccup that will be promptly addressed. We all must work together to identify safety deficiencies and find solutions. In that regard, did you hear the sirens? If not, did you report it to BPD or BFD? Please consider reporting inaudible warning sirens once you become aware they were sounded.
In a nod to Mayor Wyatt’s apropos phrase “Be community”, we thrive when we cooperate for the good of all.The next time the sirens sound, please reach out to neighbors, family, and friends and let them know.They may not hear the sirens. They may not receive phone alerts. Our lives depend on us being community.