8 sirens to be replaced in Holmes County
This old siren located on Township Road 605 near Benton lasted more than 40 years but was one of eight in Holmes County that weren’t working properly. It has been replaced in the recent effort to bolster the county’s tornado siren efficiency.
Early March has seen Holmes County tackle a vital project in replacing many of the failing emergency tornado sirens throughout the county.
Jason Troyer, Holmes County Emergency Management Agency director, said the effort to take out the old sirens and replace them with new sirens is now underway, along with the process to replace eight old sirens that are not working properly while constructing an additional siren near October Hills on the western portion of the county.
The replacement is being performed by VASU Communications out of Mansfield and began Monday, March 3. Officials from VASU said the objective will be to replace one siren every day, weather permitting, plus installation of the new siren.
“This is a big undertaking,” Troyer said. “It takes the majority of the day to take one down and erect the new one.”
In working on the siren near Benton, Township Road 605 was closed to traffic while the VASU crew worked.
More than one year ago, Troyer went around to Holmes County fire chiefs to explore how each respective siren was working.
He said he quickly realized the sirens weren’t working or worked sporadically, thus presenting the need to replace the old ones.
He said he also learned of the need for one near October Hills and along Wally Road near Loudonville because of the large number of campers who utilize the various sites there.
After securing a bid, the wait was on for the sirens to come in, and now that they have, the replacement project has begun.
The process requires two bucket trucks and a large crane, and the work is tedious.
Troyer said they pull the old pole hosting the existing siren, replace it with a new one and secure the siren in place.
The new sirens are all solar powered, with no electric required.
“VASU is doing a great job,” Troyer said.
Each siren is slated to last at least 20-25 years, although they could last for four decades or more.
The sirens being replaced include the sirens in Farmerstown, Winesburg, Walnut Creek, Holmesville, Lakeville, Glenmont, Killbuck and one located on Township Road 605 near Benton.
There are additional sirens located throughout the county, and Troyer said the next plan of operation is to get a quote on doing maintenance work on the existing sirens that aren’t being replaced.
He said those sirens will eventually need replaced.
Troyer said each tower would cost approximately $28,000.
According to Troyer, these new sirens will be quite a bit louder than the former sirens, thanks to technology. He said these could be around 10 times louder, thus carrying the message of approaching bad weather or looming natural disasters much further.
“These are important because they provide people with a certain amount of warning that could allow them to get to safety somewhere before it’s too late,” Troyer said. “We felt it was important to have every one of them in working condition because they do play a key role in providing a valuable service to our communities.”
Thus, once VASU has completed the project, the warning will ring out louder and stronger than ever.
The Holmes County Commissioners were eager to throw their support behind this replacement project, noting it was a big enough priority because providing warnings, especially during tornado season, is critical to each community.