A failed piece of hardware is being blamed for the Logan County storm sirens not sounding during Friday morning’s severe weather.
According to officials, the problem stems from a technology upgrade made approximately three years ago, when the County transitioned from an analog phone system to a voice-over-IP (VoIP) system. As part of that switch, a converter box was installed to allow emergency management access to activate the sirens. That converter box failed during Friday’s storm.
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The converter is tested daily at 7 a.m. and was confirmed to have passed Thursday morning’s routine test. However, it was not functioning properly when the storm system moved through the area Friday morning. The exact cause is not known, but a power surge may have caused a brief interruption.
Within Guthrie city limits, at least one siren is currently known to be out of service, located near Ruhl Drive and Industrial Road.
Emergency officials are reminding residents that storm sirens are intended to serve as outdoor warning systems and are not designed to alert people inside homes or businesses. Citizens are encouraged to use multiple methods to receive severe weather alerts, including weather radios, mobile apps, and local media.
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