Hear an outdoor emergency siren in the county? Here's what it means as they get upgrades.

SOUTH BEND — Upgrading the county's 67 emergency outdoor warning sirens this year will offer residents early notice on not only tornadoes but for a wide variety of serious conditions.

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $1,071,884 contract with West Shore Services Inc. of Allendale, Mich., to refurbish all sirens currently in use in the county.

More than two years in the making, the county had set aside $1.59 million for the siren upgrades. According to Al "Buddy" Kirsits, director of the county's Emergency Management Agency, the sirens are more than just tornado sirens.

"They're an early warning outdoor siren system," he said Monday. "They have been around for 20-25 years, and they are in need of new mother boards, radios and a general overall upgrade."

During the storm season, the sirens are tested for several minutes at 11:30 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month. But what should you do when you hear the sirens go off in the county?

If sirens sound

The EMA page on website scjindiana.com says the sirens are designed for letting people who are outdoors know about a weather emergency, despite the fact that some people can hear the sirens indoors.

If the sirens go off, officials say, find information from a NOAA All-Hazard weather radio or from local commercial radio and television stations.

■ Get information from a local weather radio about specific information about the threat

■ Should a tornado be close, secure people under a sturdy table, a mattress or other items that and provide protection.

■ If you are at home, follow your family emergency preparation plan and make use of your emergency kit. For information on what to assemble for an emergency kit, see ready.gov.

■ If you are in the workplace or at school, follow the set emergency procedures of the location and be aware of changing conditions.

Two years in the making

The siren upgrade project was planned in 2022, but, Kirsits said, the project was stalled when only two bids came in during that time. With a bit of reworking, he said, four bidders came up with quotes for the work, and West Shore was the preferred bidder based upon the firm's worldwide experience in providing the emergency siren services.

Kirsits and Jim Lopez, deputy county EMA director, said the project should begin in the next couple months, with all work on the sirens completed by early fall.

Two complete crews will perform upgrades on each spot, all the while making sure their work does not interfere with the sirens' ability to serve as early earnings.

"The crews at some of the sirens may only need four hours, but they assured us they will not be down. The sirens will be running," Kirsits said.

Once complete, the remaining money for the siren system will go to installing five new sirens in North Liberty, Lakeville and in far eastern Penn Township, Kirsits said.

Officials also said if the public knows of any sirens that are not working properly, go the EMA's website and report the problem.

Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: County outdoor early warning siren system to get upgrades this year