Final Tornado Siren Installed, But Fails to Sound

   The city of New Haven has installed its ninth and final tornado siren, capping an effort started in the 1970s.

   But at Wednesday’s inaugural test, the new siren failed to sound.

   “You don't know until you try it the first time live with the radio system,” said New Haven Police Chief Michael Sweet.

   Sweet says a technician will fix the siren, but he says this shows the importance of a test.

   “Being the first time that it's been tested, that's why we wanted to make sure that we work out any issues with it,” said Sweet.

   It's the final siren New Haven will install—the end of a decades-long project.

   “We have nearly every part of the community covered with the siren, and virtually all of our populated area that is covered with sirens,” said Sweet.

   The project would have cost $18,000, but New Haven only had to cover a small part of that. Several local businesses pitched in to help pay.

   “I think this is a great system to support our staff and the safety culture that we have,” said John Snider, vice president at Do It Best Corp.

   “It will give us advanced warning for our employees. We really couldn't hear the sirens at this location before,” said Greg Culver, assistant division superintendent at Norfolk Southern.

   New Haven started installing the sirens in the 1970s, long before people could get weather warnings on a text message. But Chief Sweet says sirens are still important.

   “Usually when we have severe weather, it's a time of year when people are out actually working in the yards and what not. They're not next to their phone, usually. They're not next to the television or radio,” said Sweet. “So the warning system that we have today is still just as valid, if not as more, as it was when it was first implemented in the 70s.”

   The city will test all nine tornado sirens every month.