Following a rare tornado warning for CPN in June, residents have inquired about what emergency notification systems are in place for inclement weather situations.  The County does not use the automatic calling system for weather situations.  In addition, the County does not have a siren or civil defense warning system in place, nor are there plans to install a system.

Jim Raymond of the Douglas County Department of Emergency Services explains, “There are many effective ways to notify the public of an emergency situation.  A siren system is an inferior way to notify people of an emergency due to the fact that when a siren is sounded, people have no idea why.  The siren could be warning of a tornado, a flood, a fire, or anything.  I think people tend to pay less attention to a siren than any other form of emergency notification.”

CPN Safety Committee Chair Janet Conner disagrees.  “Siren warning systems for tornadoes are used in some other portions of the metropolitan area, including Denver and Aurora,” said Conner.  “It does get you to pay attention to what the weather is doing outside and search for information. We’ll keep looking into this.

“Reverse 911” Emergency Notification Calls

What Should YOU Do?  Get an emergency radio and/or software