By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
After the statewide tornado safety drill the Glasgow-Barren County Emergency Management discovered three siren sites that need to undergo maintenance.
Thursday, March 6, at 9:07 a.m. Barren County joined numerous other Kentucky counties in a three-minute long tornado safety drill, which caused the outdoor sirens, or COWS, and weather radios to issue alerts typical during the hazardous weather. During the course of the drill the emergency management department, became aware of several COWS that did not sound.
“We do routine maintenance in March anyway for all the sirens,” Garland Gilliam, director of Glasgow-Barren County Emergency Management, said. “We have three specific sirens that didn’t go off so we’re going to service those three first and see what the issue is.”
The threes siren sites were Glenview Drive in the city limits of Glasgow and Green Valley and J. Birge roads in the county. Gilliam said he suspected the issue was caused by a blown fuse but was unable to say definitively until inspections of the sites were completed.
In addition to these three sites there is also one on Donnelley Drive, which Gilliam said he knew was down and had already had the part ordered.
All-in-all, Gilliam said the test went well from the county perspective though he reiterated the point he previously made that the statewide drill was more geared towards individual preparedness. Sitting in the 911 dispatch center, Gilliam said, and April Dunbar, assistant director of the center confirmed, they only received three calls inquiring about the sirens.
“The test went well,” Gilliam said. “I’ve gotten reports from a couple businesses who participated and all was well. From the county’s end the sirens are really the thing we focused on during this test. I think we did good.”
Gilliam said he appreciated all the individuals, and groups, who volunteered to go to siren sites and offer feedback to the department.
“A big thank you to all the volunteers, Glasgow Fire Department and everyone else who went to the siren sites to let us know whether or not they were working,” Gilliam said. “We wouldn’t have the feedback without them going out so I appreciate all their help.”
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