The Pilot Point City Council fielded the storm sirens discussion during its meeting on June 12.
City Chief Financial Officer Michele Sanchez opened the item with some background and a couple of routes the city could take on the issue moving forward.
“Way back in 2010, there were some storm sirens installed in Pilot Point,” Sanchez said. “There are three of them currently on poles. None of them currently work and they are not fixable.”
Sanchez gave the council a look at what it would take to replace the existing ones, as well as cover the entirety of existing city limits, new developments included.
“Based on the three locations we currently have, to replace just those three it would be $110,000,” Sanchez said. “If we’re going to go that route, it's better to look at the city as a whole. When we look at the city as a whole 70 square miles that could incorporate, that would be 35 devices.” She explained new developments could have mandatory storm sirens included in the development agreement, but existing developments would still be on the city’s dime.
“Based on the development agreements that are already signed, we would have to install nine devices on our own,” Sanchez said. “That would cost about $325,000 based on current pricing. They also have an annual maintenance and installation cost—that’s just for the devices.”
On the subject of sirens, she further mentioned potential FEMA grant funding, though the grants, a cost split, would require the city develop a disaster mitigation plan in place to be eligible.
She additionally reminded council and the community about Code Red, the city’s current alert system, which Fire Chief Heath Hudson endorses.
“We currently have a system called Code Red,” Sanchez said. “If anyone isn’t registered for it, see me after and I can help you. It is a phone call and text message system, so if an alert goes out about weather, you get a phone call or text message or both, or email, anything you want. We pay an annual cost for Code Red. This year it’s just over $9,000.”
Only about 1,400 Pilot Point citizens are signed up for Code Red.
“The outdoor warning sirens, in my opinion, have become an outdated technology because of their limited range,” Hudson said. “They’re to be heard outdoors, not indoors. There is also a lack of specific information. ... Before when we blew them, my phone and the station phone would light up with people wanting to know what we’re blowing the sirens for.”
Mayor Chad Major, who asked the item to be put on the agenda, explained he’s aware of the contention surrounding the topic, sharing that even in his own house, opinions are split.
“From my perspective, the technology has improved beyond sirens,” Major said. “What I’m hearing is this notification system is becoming more the standard and it’s kind of a belt and suspenders approach alongside the weather radios.”
During her presentation, Sanchez addressed the feasibility of weather radios, both from a cost and redundancy standpoint.
“I ran the numbers, and it would be more cost effective to purchase a weather radio for every single home in our city limits than it would to go down the storm siren route,” Sanchez said. “They plug into walls and have a battery backup, so if the power goes out, they’re still going to work.”
The issue was just a discussion item, so council gave staff direction to move forward.
“If we go [the weather radio] route, we need to make sure people know we’ve got them,” Mayor Pro Tem Andrew Ambrosio said.
Council's direction to staff was to survey Prosper and Celina, who have the sirens, as well as Aubrey and look closer at the potential FEMA funding to nail down a best course of future action.
