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Police chief addresses tornado siren questions
BY CHIEF BRUCE CENTKO
There seems to be some confusion about the Auburn tornado sirens, so I would like to take this opportunity to try and answer
some of the questions we have received.
The sirens are an early warning system meant to alert people outdoors of a threat. The sirens may not be heard inside every
building in Auburn and that will vary depending on wind direction, how well the building is insulated or soundproofed, and other
noises present at the time.
You should, however, be able to hear the sirens out-of-doors anywhere in Auburn. The warning is meant to alert you to the
possibility of a threat, and to give you an opportunity to seek other sources of information, such as television, radio, weather
radios, scanners, or weather radios set to alert when our sirens are sounded.
We accept information of a possible threat from three sources that result in the sounding of the sirens.
The first source is a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service that puts Auburn in the path or close to the path of
a possible tornado.
National Weather Service warnings can mean that an actual funnel cloud has been sighted, that rotation has been sighted in
the clouds but a funnel cloud has not been formed yet, or Doppler radar indicates rotation in a storm system.
Although none of these mean there is a tornado on the ground or even a tornado is aloft, they all mean that a tornado could
form and touch down without any further warning. These warnings can be issued without a tornado ever developing or touching
down. However, if we wait to warn you when a tornado is on the ground it could be too late for you to take shelter.
A tornado warning can be issued by the National Weather Service for Sangamon County but if the threat area is Sher-man and
the storm cell is moving north or east that would not result in our sirens being sounded.
However, there could be no warning issued for Sangamon County, but a warning issued for Morgan County or Macoupin County
depending on where the threat area is and the direction the cell is moving could result in our sirens being sounded. The sirens
are meant to warn of a possible threat to the Auburn area not Sangamon County.
The second source of information we accept to sound tornado sirens are trained weather spotters. The local emergency
services agency in cooperation with Sangamon County Office of Emergency Management have trained weather spotters that they
station on the edge of the Auburn area based on what direction storm cells are moving from. The reason for the weather spotters
is that storm cells with rotation, or funnel clouds aloft or on the ground can develop faster than The National Weather Service can
detect them and issue warnings.
The third source we accept is storm cells with rotation, funnel clouds aloft or on the ground spotted by law enforcement. Law
enforcement will also station units based on where storm cells are forming or what direction formed cells are traveling. Law
enforcement acts as a third level of early warning. An example of this occurred late on a recent Tuesday evening when the
television was reporting that all threats had passed, a cloud with rotation was spotted west of Auburn on Auburn Road by a
weather spotter, the cloud was moving east toward Auburn.
Our tornado sirens were sounded based on that information. Law enforcement then spotted that same cloud, and a funnel
cloud had formed aloft just east of Auburn moving toward Glenarm. The cloud dissipated and a tornado did not touch down
however one was spotted in the Auburn area.
Based on the above criteria when the possibility of a threat to the Auburn area is detected the sirens will be sounded and will
continue to sound until that threat has passed. The threat can be short just a matter of minutes, or can extend out for hours
depending on how early the threat is detected, the size of the cell, or the possibility of multiple cells or threats.
When we feel the threat has cleared we will quit sounding the sirens. However, you must realize that the cells can form, reform,
or multiple cells can form, so as long as the sirens are sounding, or if the sirens stop then begin sounding again that means the
possibility of a threat to Auburn still exist.
Buildings in Auburn have been designated as storm shelters for citizens that do not have a safe location in their homes.
However, all locations are not available at all times so if you need a place to go during an emergency call the Auburn Police
Department at (217) 438-3351 and we will tell you what shelters are open at the time.
You should have a contingency plan at your location, in case the threat is immediate and you do not have time to move to a
designated shelter at a different location. You may want to have a place to go when storms are predicted or possible so you
won't be looking for shelter when the threat is immediate.
The tornado sirens have emergency battery backup so they will sound even when the power is out. The sirens are tested the
first Tuesday of every month both under utility power and battery backup. However, if there is bad weather in or predicted for the
Auburn area at the time of the test to avoid any confusion the test will be postponed until the following month. If there are storm
cells in the Auburn area on the first Tuesday of the month and the sirens are sounding it is because of a possible threat to the
area.
The mayor and city council have recently approved purchase of an automatic dialing system as an additional
warning/information system for the city of Auburn. The system will call your phone to inform you of things such as threats from
weather, boil orders, implementation of parking restrictions during snow removal, scheduled road maintenance, to when these
restrictions are lifted.
I believe two of the greatest advantages to the system are, first, it can offer more information than is reported on television, and
second you could be out of town and it could inform you of something your property or loved one in Auburn could be facing.
It is free to use, but requires a voluntary sign up on your part. I encourage everyone to sign up for the service. Any questions
please feel free to contact me: Chief Bruce Centko at bcentko@yahoo.com or call the Auburn Police Department (217) 438-3351.
BY CHIEF BRUCE CENTKO
There seems to be some confusion about the Auburn tornado sirens, so I would like to take this opportunity to try and answer
some of the questions we have received.
The sirens are an early warning system meant to alert people outdoors of a threat. The sirens may not be heard inside every
building in Auburn and that will vary depending on wind direction, how well the building is insulated or soundproofed, and other
noises present at the time.
You should, however, be able to hear the sirens out-of-doors anywhere in Auburn. The warning is meant to alert you to the
possibility of a threat, and to give you an opportunity to seek other sources of information, such as television, radio, weather
radios, scanners, or weather radios set to alert when our sirens are sounded.
We accept information of a possible threat from three sources that result in the sounding of the sirens.
The first source is a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service that puts Auburn in the path or close to the path of
a possible tornado.
National Weather Service warnings can mean that an actual funnel cloud has been sighted, that rotation has been sighted in
the clouds but a funnel cloud has not been formed yet, or Doppler radar indicates rotation in a storm system.
Although none of these mean there is a tornado on the ground or even a tornado is aloft, they all mean that a tornado could
form and touch down without any further warning. These warnings can be issued without a tornado ever developing or touching
down. However, if we wait to warn you when a tornado is on the ground it could be too late for you to take shelter.
A tornado warning can be issued by the National Weather Service for Sangamon County but if the threat area is Sher-man and
the storm cell is moving north or east that would not result in our sirens being sounded.
However, there could be no warning issued for Sangamon County, but a warning issued for Morgan County or Macoupin County
depending on where the threat area is and the direction the cell is moving could result in our sirens being sounded. The sirens
are meant to warn of a possible threat to the Auburn area not Sangamon County.
The second source of information we accept to sound tornado sirens are trained weather spotters. The local emergency
services agency in cooperation with Sangamon County Office of Emergency Management have trained weather spotters that they
station on the edge of the Auburn area based on what direction storm cells are moving from. The reason for the weather spotters
is that storm cells with rotation, or funnel clouds aloft or on the ground can develop faster than The National Weather Service can
detect them and issue warnings.
The third source we accept is storm cells with rotation, funnel clouds aloft or on the ground spotted by law enforcement. Law
enforcement will also station units based on where storm cells are forming or what direction formed cells are traveling. Law
enforcement acts as a third level of early warning. An example of this occurred late on a recent Tuesday evening when the
television was reporting that all threats had passed, a cloud with rotation was spotted west of Auburn on Auburn Road by a
weather spotter, the cloud was moving east toward Auburn.
Our tornado sirens were sounded based on that information. Law enforcement then spotted that same cloud, and a funnel
cloud had formed aloft just east of Auburn moving toward Glenarm. The cloud dissipated and a tornado did not touch down
however one was spotted in the Auburn area.
Based on the above criteria when the possibility of a threat to the Auburn area is detected the sirens will be sounded and will
continue to sound until that threat has passed. The threat can be short just a matter of minutes, or can extend out for hours
depending on how early the threat is detected, the size of the cell, or the possibility of multiple cells or threats.
When we feel the threat has cleared we will quit sounding the sirens. However, you must realize that the cells can form, reform,
or multiple cells can form, so as long as the sirens are sounding, or if the sirens stop then begin sounding again that means the
possibility of a threat to Auburn still exist.
Buildings in Auburn have been designated as storm shelters for citizens that do not have a safe location in their homes.
However, all locations are not available at all times so if you need a place to go during an emergency call the Auburn Police
Department at (217) 438-3351 and we will tell you what shelters are open at the time.
You should have a contingency plan at your location, in case the threat is immediate and you do not have time to move to a
designated shelter at a different location. You may want to have a place to go when storms are predicted or possible so you
won't be looking for shelter when the threat is immediate.
The tornado sirens have emergency battery backup so they will sound even when the power is out. The sirens are tested the
first Tuesday of every month both under utility power and battery backup. However, if there is bad weather in or predicted for the
Auburn area at the time of the test to avoid any confusion the test will be postponed until the following month. If there are storm
cells in the Auburn area on the first Tuesday of the month and the sirens are sounding it is because of a possible threat to the
area.
The mayor and city council have recently approved purchase of an automatic dialing system as an additional
warning/information system for the city of Auburn. The system will call your phone to inform you of things such as threats from
weather, boil orders, implementation of parking restrictions during snow removal, scheduled road maintenance, to when these
restrictions are lifted.
I believe two of the greatest advantages to the system are, first, it can offer more information than is reported on television, and
second you could be out of town and it could inform you of something your property or loved one in Auburn could be facing.
It is free to use, but requires a voluntary sign up on your part. I encourage everyone to sign up for the service. Any questions
please feel free to contact me: Chief Bruce Centko at bcentko@yahoo.com or call the Auburn Police Department (217) 438-3351.
Issue Date: June 12, 2008
