New Tornado Sirens to be Tested Monday

Tornado sirens are expected to go off Monday throughout St. Louis County as part of a systemwide test. The drill is scheduled to happen at 11 a.m.

The county recently overhauled its network of sirens, and all but two of 185 have been installed, said David Barney, executive director for the St. Louis County Emergency Communications Commission. The system cost $7.5 million and is controlled from two locations, one in and the other in Chesterfield.

The new system expands service to western and southern parts of the county that didn't previously have sirens, he said. Additionally, some of the county's older sirens dated back to the 1960s and featured a rotating mechanical horn that was prone to break. Commercial power supported the sirens in the past, meaning the siren would be rendered unusable if a big storm came through the county.

The new sirens are composed of 10 speakers stacked one on top of the other; are solar-powered; and can be used to make a public address to a select part of the county when, for example, a boil water alert is issued.

An emergency communications sales tax that voters approved in 2009 funded the project, a county news release states. TBG served as the contractor.

“This is a program that could very well literally save lives,” County Executive Charlie Dooley stated in the release.

Most of the sirens that made up the old network will be taken down by the end of the year, Barney said.

There are two sirens in the 63143 and 63144 ZIP codes, the county's website states. They are at the following locations:

• Intersection of Big Bend Boulevard and James Avenue

Additionally, there are two sirens in the 63117 ZIP code, which includes Richmond Heights:

• McCutcheon Road, 287 feet south of Greenridge Drive
• Laclede Station Road at Highway 40

Those interested in finding sirens in their ZIP code may go to St. Louis County's website. It has been updated to reflect the newly installed sirens, Barney said.