ALLENDALE - All hazard warning sirens...or some just call them tornado sirens, can be a lifesaver if you're caught outside during severe weather with no way to get warnings. These ear piercing sounds (130 decibels about a mile in all directions) are an attempt to warn people outside (not inside) of impending approaching severe weather or other dangerous, life-saving incidents such as a dam failure. West Shore Companies in Allendale has been around for decades, building, constructing, erecting, and maintaining these sirens all across Michigan and even some other states. There is a network of about 2,500 sirens in Michigan and at least 2,000 of those are on a two-way digital communication system. They've gone as far away as Florida and Alaska to install these warning signals!
Oakland County in Southeast Michigan has the most dense network at almost 300 sirens in just that county. West Shore Services installs about 20 to 40 sirens in Michigan each year! Imagine being outside as severe storms approach and you have no way to get the tornado warning. Perhaps you forgot your cell phone? In many counties, these sirens are sounded when the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, or sometimes when 75 to 80 mph straight line winds are possible. The criteria can be slightly different from county to county.
West Shore Companies has been trying to build a network of these warning sirens across the state for decades. As the saying goes, there's strength in numbers. The better coverage a county has, the more likely and effective they can be in warning residents. What's changed in the technology in these systems over the years is remarkable. While someone within the county usually pushes a button to trigger the sirens(s) like an emergency manager or fire department, they have minute by minute confirmation whether they work or not, even if the power has been cut. Yes, they have battery backup. This is the considered two-way digital communication with each siren.
It seems every time warning sirens sound, people have questions. How come my sirens went off when there was no tornado warning, or why did they sound in the northern portion of the county when only the southern portion of the county was under a warning? Some counties have the ability to sound in specific sections or quadrants of their county. It depends how the network is set up and how many sirens they have in a geographic area.
Obviously, a network or sirens cost money. West Shore Service provides the turn-key service that municipalities need to protect their citizens. About $28,000 will get a full state-of-the-art install. Afterwards, the only cost involved is general maintenance from time to time. The great thing is: for cities, townships, or municipalities that might not be able to afford much, West Shore Services has fully functional state-of-the-art used equipment as well. This option is more in the area of about $12,000 to $15,000. It's a one time price tag!
President and CEO Jeff DuPilka, is no stranger to safety. Not only has he meticulously run the company since its inception, he always puts safety first. He's also been involved with the Allendale Fire Department for some 46 years. Jeff has a large number of both new and used sirens in the stock yard in Allendale. He even has some of the old "vintage" war time sirens just for fun. If you're a municipality and have thought about erecting a siren (or more sirens) and it's not necessarily in the budget, he will make it work! As he told me, safety is paramount for West Shore Services and profit won't stand in the way of accommodating folks that want to install these safety sirens.
I can remember as a youngster hearing these sirens on a monthly basis to be tested and during times of severe weather. Keep in mind many counties test these on the first Friday of the month in the spring and summer at noon. Kent and Ottawa Counties are perfect examples. It's should also be a mental reminder to us as citizens that we're lucky to have this warning system in place while outside playing baseball, working on the lawn, or just walking. It's also awesome to know that a West Michigan company is at the helm making it happen. West Shore Services has actually installed voice warning systems that are crystal clear, and can even play pre-recorded messages. They actually did a military base installation in Florida where taps are played through the system each morning. The outreach is quite far. They also installed equipment in Alaska.
So the next time you hear the siren test, know that its a Michigan based company that has likely erected and tested these sirens in the event we need them during an emergency.
