Citywide emergency alert sirens coming to Plainfield after deadly storms
Residents can expect seven sirens when the installation process is complete.
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A new citywide emergency notification warning system will soon be in place in Plainfield following a summer of deadly storms.
“We will have sirens that will be live within the next two to three months," said Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp.
Residents can expect seven sirens when the installation process is complete. A central station controller, horn speaker, UPS power backup unit, tower server and more will also be part of the project.
“Not only is it going to be an audible system in terms of the siren that will be heard when there is an emergency, but they can also be a voice notification of a pending emergency, a pending weather event," said Mapp.
The mayor said exact locations are yet to be determined, but reassured residents they won't have to foot the bill, thanks to a grant through the county.
Mapp said a focus on safety has been a priority for his administration, and they don’t want to leave anything to chance.
“Public safety is job No. 1," he said. "So given the events of this past July, it has elevated that level of care and concern.”
In early July, two area residents were killed during a storm when a tree fell on their car. Then that same month, a flash flooding event in Plainfield killed two women as their vehicle was swept away.
"People received text messages, those emergency alerts on their phones. It is clear that wasn't enough, and not everyone has a cellphone," said Mapp.
