Don’t wait to replace your siren system until after disaster strikes.
A widely held crisis management principle states, “In a crisis, the speed of response often determines the scale of the damage.” Nowhere is that more evident than in industrial incidents, emergencies, or severe weather events. Timely alerts from an outdoor warning siren can minimize loss of life and property when disaster strikes.
If your siren system no longer meets the stringent requirements to perform effectively, it’s time to replace it.
Cities, counties, campuses, and industrial facilities across Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Arizona trust OmniWarn Public Safety for warning system services such as design, installation, repair, and maintenance.
To help you assess if your system is keeping up, here are five signs it may be time to upgrade or replace your outdoor warning siren system.
Indicators Your Siren System May Need Replaced
1. System Age and Technology Limitations
Warning siren systems are designed to function at their best for extended use but they still have a finite service lifespan. With regular maintenance, the core unit of an outdoor warning system can function for around 30 years before it starts to become obsolete. As your siren system reaches the end of its service life, replacement parts can become difficult to source as they start to be discontinued.
Another limitation to consider is that older systems were often designed to be heard by people outside. Modern outdoor siren systems are designed to be better heard by people indoors as well as outside and are built sturdier to withstand more wear and tear.
If your warning siren has reached the end of its service life or can’t warn them effectively, it’s time for an upgrade.
2. Technical and Operational Failures
Regular testing of your siren system helps identify issues so they are less likely to occur in a real emergency. Recurring mechanical and operational issues to look out for during testing include:
- Failure to activate
- Failure to rotate
- Not producing sufficient siren volume
- Producing muffled, quiet, or inaudible audio
- Inability to hold battery charge
- Lack of backup power during power outages
- Failure to trigger sirens when receiving an automatic signal from an emergency management center
Consistent failure to perform even basic functions puts lives and property in jeopardy. When critical issues recur, replacing your outdoor warning system is the safest option.
3. Performance and Coverage Limitations
While outdoor warning systems have a long lifespan, technology moves rapidly. Systems from 30 years ago don’t have the benefits of modern technological advances. Older systems typically incorporate mechanical sirens powered by electric motors that spin on a rotor to create sounds. They are activated by local switches or analog radio signals and often operate as standalone systems.
By contrast, modern emergency warning systems utilize electronic speaker arrays, often with programmable tones, voice broadcasting capabilities, and direction control. They use networked digital controllers allowing IP-based control systems, remote activation from emergency operations centers, and automated triggers from weather alerts or sensors. Many modern outdoor warning systems incorporate FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). Ultimately, modern emergency warning systems are multi-channel mass notification platforms that allow emergency managers to trigger notifications across a wide range of communications channels simultaneously from one system.
Along with the speed of technology, you should also consider the speed of population growth when evaluating the effectiveness of your emergency warning siren. Cities can expand significantly over the course of 30 years, meaning that your existing siren system may not sufficiently cover the area around it anymore.
If your outdoor siren system is outdated or doesn’t sufficiently reach the people in its area of coverage, upgrade your system to keep them safe.
4. Maintenance Cost
As emergency warning siren systems age, maintenance costs start to climb. Bearings, motors, belts, and couplings wear out and must be replaced. The rotors that help the siren rotate can become imbalanced and cause vibrations, impeding its ability to create sound. The electronics and control systems that power older sirens and allow them to operate break down over time. As these parts and systems become outdated or obsolete, replacement parts can get extremely difficult and expensive to find when they give out.
When maintenance costs start to mount, it’s time to take steps to replace your emergency warning system.
5. Structural Damage
Outdoor warning systems are made to withstand the elements. However, regardless of how well-maintained a siren system is, damage still occurs. Long-term exposure to rain and other precipitation can cause rust and corrosion. Lightning strikes, high winds, and hail can melt, crack, or bend vital components. That kind of damage could make siren operation unreliable, leaving people vulnerable to danger in an emergency.
If your siren system has taken damage from nature that can’t be easily repaired, an experienced provider can help you design a replacement that fits your needs.
Partner With OmniWarn to Replace Your Siren System
An effective outdoor warning siren system can make the difference between safety and disaster during an emergency. If you recognize any of these five signs in your siren system, it’s time for an upgrade. OmniWarn has proven expertise backed by quality products to help you design an emergency siren system that fits your needs.
As the factory-direct Federal Signal provider for six states, OmniWarn is the trusted partner of customers nationwide, including:
- The City of Bentonville, Arkansas
- The City of Denver, Colorado
- The City of Irving, Texas
- Phillips 66
- Pemex
- Valero
If you’re ready to upgrade your outdoor siren system, request a free consultation with OmniWarn Public Safety today. Serving public safety agencies across Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Arizona, our team can inspect, test, and optimize your system, helping you stay alert today and alive tomorrow.