Changes to Outdoor Warning Siren System

CLINTON COUNTY, IOWA – Eighteen (18) Outdoor Warning Sirens in fifteen (15) locations within Clinton County will not be used after 12/31/2024.  These locations include; Andover, Calamus, Charlotte, Delmar, DeWitt, Goose Lake, Grand Mound, Lost Nation, Low Moor, Toronto, Welton, Wheatland, and the unincorporated communities of Bryant, Elwood, and Teeds Grove.  Meetings to discuss the future of the siren systems were held in 2024 by the Emergency Management Commission, each City Council, and the Board of Supervisors as well as three public listening sessions held in Wheatland, Welton and Clinton. 

The Clinton County Board of Supervisors has also decided to end the use of nine (9) of the Constellation Energy owned sirens for the purpose of Severe Weather Warnings.  Those sirens will continue to be available for use as part of the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program and will continue to be tested on the first Tuesday of the month at 10am. 

The City of Clinton will continue to utilize the six (6) Constellation owned sirens as they have in the past.  During Severe Weather, City of Clinton residents may notice a reduction in siren coverage due to the sirens located outside of the City of Clinton, but nearby, no longer being used for these warnings.

The City of Camanche is set to meet on December 17th in order to determine if they will continue to utilize sirens for severe weather in conjunction with the City of Clinton or discontinue the use in keeping with the Clinton County decision.

The Clinton County Emergency Management (EM) Commission has unanimously voted to discontinue use of the outdoor warning siren system in Clinton County.  The Emergency Management Commission is comprised of the mayors of each incorporated city in Clinton County as well as one member of the Board of Supervisors and the Clinton County Sheriff.  Each City and Board of Supervisors has also voted on the topic with the previously stated results.

Discussion regarding the future of the system began when Constellation, the operator of the Quad Cities Clean Energy Center (nuclear generating station), announced proposed changes to their alert and notification systems in April of 2023. Constellation is working towards a transition from using the sixteen (16) outdoor warning sirens they own and operate within Clinton County and moving to more modern, electronic alerts. Constellation stated the sirens could be given to local jurisdictions.

Constellation’s announcement presented an opportunity for the EM Commission to evaluate the future of the siren system. Considering the high cost to taxpayers for taking ownership of the Constellation sirens and continued operation of the system, as well as considerable advances in more precise and detailed electronic alerting systems, the EM Commission voted unanimously to not accept the Constellation sirens and to decommission the Commission owned system. On August 5, 2024, this decision was also supported by unanimous vote of the Clinton County Board of Supervisors.

The high costs considered by the EM Commission included a one-time cost to adopt the Constellation sirens of $85,000, and additional annual cost estimated at $20,000 and a full system update cost estimated at $816,000 expected in 2029. 

Individual municipalities within Clinton County retained the right to vote on whether they wished to independently adopt and operate sirens located in their jurisdictions. 

Clinton County participates in the Alert Iowa program, a utility which allows for public alert and notification of specific threats, and is provided free of charge to Clinton County by the State of Iowa. Residents can register for this program at:

https://www.clintoncounty-ia.gov/emergency_management/alert_iowa/

Residents can also receive weather alerts via many other outlets, including NOAA weather radios, weather apps for smart phones, television, and radio. 

Regardless of whether your neighborhood is covered by sirens we encourage residents to utilize Alert Iowa, IPAWS (the Federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) and NOAA Weather Radios. As always Clinton County Emergency Management is committed to improving public safety.  A program to offer free weather radios to Clinton County residents has begun at outreach events and in conjunction with local libraries.