ST. LOUIS — The City of St. Louis Emergency Management Agency, also known as CEMA, plans to update and improve the city’s outdoor warning system.
A total of $3.9 million has been allocated to install new equipment for an entire system replacement.
In a news release, CEMA said after several inconsistent testing concerns, the agency continues to find ways to improve its current system’s ability to provide adequate coverage for emergency notifications.
The agency's commissioner Sarah Russell said, "The diagnostic side of the system, we are not getting the type of responses that we'd like and it's hard for us to remotely test and make an inquiry of a siren and get information back from it. I'm hoping it will give us more data on the new system versus what we have available now."
Russell shared it's been two decades, roughly 24 years since the last outdoor warning siren system was put in place.
"I’ve asked for a study to be conducted to take into account development that’s happened across the city in the last several decades since we last installed the system. We want to make sure we get those outside spaces, park spaces, places people congregate," Russell added.
There are 60 sirens throughout the city, but with this new system coming in, Russell explains there could be more or less. It will depend on the technology CEMA selects.
The agency also created PSAs in six additional languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Hindi, Swahili, Bosnian and Dari/Patscho.
It's a 30-second spot giving an introduction to CEMA and the importance of warnings.
It directs people to sign up for alerts through NotifySTL.
Russell explained, "Sirens don’t always mean the same thing here in the U.S., let alone abroad, so we want to make sure everyone understands why they may hear these sirens."
The International Institute of St. Louis said this is a much-needed move.
Blake Hamilton is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Advocacy.
Hamilton explained since the start of the year, they've welcomed more than 500 individuals to the region who speak more than 40 languages.
"These sorts of things that signify for new arrivals of how welcoming the community can be. The more accessible information is, the more engaged people can become," Hamilton noted.
CEMA has started the process of accepting Request for Qualifications (RFQs) from potential contractors.
Once that is secured, they'll conduct a site survey, sign off on a final design and replace the infrastructure. This process will continue into the year 2025.
For companies interested in submitting an RFQ, click here.
For residents, business owners and visitors interested in signing up or amending how they currently receive emergency notifications, click here. On the right-hand corner of the NotifySTL website, you can select different languages.