Tryon plans to place back into service an old siren that used to be activated during emergency situations.
Tryon Fire Chief Joey Davis updated council Tuesday on the old system and suggested a policy for using the siren.
The old siren is on top of town hall. Davis says he is unsure how old the siren is and decided to re-activate the old system after unsuccessfully applying for grants for a new system. Davis said the siren goes off in four minute cycles. He said it is a really old system, but it would cost about $10,000 for a new siren.
The issue of a siren was brought up by council member Austin Chapman who said the town should have an emergency warning system.
The draft policy says the siren should be activated in situations where a tornado has been visually confirmed and/or a tornado warning has been issued. Other situations include threats to national security and safety of the American public. The siren can be activated by the towns emergency director, town manager, fire and police chief, the shift supervisor in charge of the police department and the assistant fire chief.
Residents should tune into television or radio for information when the siren is activated and take immediate shelter from the perceived danger, according to the draft policy.
One resident at the meeting Tuesday said she remembers the siren going off as long ago as the 1940s. Tryons siren will only be activated in emergency situations affecting the Tryon area. Council will consider approving the policy in April.