Lack of Storm Sirens in Benton County Cause Alarm
CAMDEN, Tenn. – It has been just four years since tornadoes tore through Benton County devastating homes and endangering lives. Shirley Mosley said her life was saved because a siren awakened her and her family. “It went off and it was the difference in us living or dying, because a tree came crashing through our front window,” she said. The siren Mosely heard is in Camden, the only siren in all of Benton County. The county’s one siren is only in earshot of about 200 of the county’s 16,000 residents. Making matters worse, the lone siren often malfunctions. Even now the mayor and EMA director disagree on whether it is working properly. Mayor Burnett said resident safety is his primary concern, but at this point tornado warnings are not being explored. “At this point in time, it’s certainly on the back burner if you wanna put it that way. It probably shouldn’t be,” he said. Mayor Barnett said while he is concerned the millions it would cost to install the recommend 100 sirens throughout the county are just not available. “There are people concerned and they have a right to be concerned,” he said. Chairman of the Benton County Commission Ken Berry said a reverse 911 system might be a good alternative to installing more sirens. A reverse 911 would place a call to individuals during emergencies. Berry says the technology would cost $30,000 and said that is within the county’s budget. “I’m not sure why it has not been investigated or implemented but I think it should be implemented,” he said. Mayor Barnett said while there are no current plans to install more sirens or a reverse 911 system, the county will be distributing 100 Alert FM radios around the county.
