Sheldon to install storm siren to replace old one

Friday, March 19, 2010

Soon, Sheldon area residents will once again have a storm warning siren in place -- just in time to have it in place for the spring storm activity that often strikes the area.

The city of Sheldon has been without a storm siren since last year, when during a storm, their old siren quit working. Sheldon Fire Chief David May didn't know whether the old unit got hit by lightning or simply succumbed to age. He did say that the cost to repair the motor was almost the same as the price of a new siren. Sheldon has received a used, replacement storm siren from the city of Rich Hill, and "it's getting here just in the nick of time," said May.

The city received the siren about a week ago and had to clean it up and put a coat of paint on it, but May said they were "hoping to have it up by now. With the severe weather of spring fast approaching May is not certain when the new device will be operational.

It will be mounted on the same pole as the old siren near the fire station, but the pole only has single phase power and the new siren requires a three-phase power source. May has received a bid to have a contractor install a converter and the siren, but is pursuing other options for the installation as well.

The new siren is different from the old one in that, when they took the old one off the pole May climbed the pole and got it down himself. He said that the new unit will have to be mounted on the pole using a boom truck. May and Board of Aldermen president Jared Lamb are both working to get the siren installed as quickly, efficiently and economically as possible.

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