Travis Puckett

December’s deadly tornadoes still fresh on their minds, Warren Fiscal Court magistrates took action Monday to better warn county residents about any future severe weather.

The magistrates voted 6-0 to approve Warren County Emergency Management’s request to purchase 11 more Community Outdoor Warning Sirens (COWS) from Capitol Electronics at a cost of about $330,000.

Travis Puckett, emergency management deputy director, said his office expects to have the bulk of the cost covered by a hazard mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Puckett said the local match would be “less than 10%” of a purchase that will bring the county’s total number of warning sirens to 44.

“We’re trying to fill in the spots that need coverage,” Puckett said. “With this purchase, we’ll have more than 90% of the county covered.”

The sirens, which are activated when severe weather is imminent and can be heard throughout a 1.5-mile radius, were effective during December’s storms.

“Any time a tornado warning comes, they’re activated,” Puckett said. “We set them up with as much lead time as possible.”

In December, that lead time ahead of the storms allowed many residents to find their way to tornado shelters at Basil Griffin, Buchanon, Ephram White, Phil Moore and Ed Spear parks.

“We saw significant numbers of people in the shelters that evening,” Puckett said.

Like Puckett, county Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said the outdoor warning sirens have been effective during the tornadoes and during past severe weather events.

“This will be beneficial to a lot of people,” Buchanon said of purchasing the new sirens. “In the wake of the tornadoes, it would be almost irresponsible of us not to do it.”

Puckett said preliminary plans call for the 11 new sirens to be placed at these locations: Smiths Grove Fire Department, Beech Bend Park, Richardsville Volunteer Fire Department Plum Springs station, Housing Authority of Bowling Green, Plum Springs Church, Barren River VFD station No. 1, Greenhill United Methodist Church, Flatrock Church, Browning VFD station No. 1, Old Union Missionary Baptist Church and Rich Pond Baptist Church.

Within “90 to 120 days” after they’re purchased, Puckett said, the sirens should be functioning. He’s hopeful the expansion of the COWS system will happen whether or not the county receives the FEMA grant.

“It the grant isn’t approved, it’s up to fiscal court (to purchase the sirens),” he said. “I’m sure we could find money for public safety.”

The magistrates found money for a number of other items Monday.

Among them:

• $12,150 for 30 LED light fixtures to upgrade the parking lot lights at the county’s Sugar Maple Square property.
• $41,805 to Scotty’s Contracting and Stone for paving the Jaycees building parking lot at the Southern Kentucky Fairgrounds at Lampkin Park. The cost will be split evenly with the city of Bowling Green, which co-owns the park property with the county.
• $1,050 to Pye Barker of Bowling Green for the annual monitoring fee and fire alarm service.
• $13,053.40 to Sigma Organics for products to be used to treat and maintain 38 ballfields used by the county parks and recreation department.
• $6,995 to Farris Trailers for a tandem-wheel enclosed trailer to be used for special parks and recreation events.
• $9,459 to Reynolds Sealing & Striping for reflective thermoplastic markings on Peachtree Lane.
• $4,050 to HB Clark Signature Disc Golf Course Designs for signs at county disc golf courses.

The next fiscal court meeting will be April 22 at 9 a.m.

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.