Linn County EMA adds seven storm sirens to new areas

The agency took full ownership of the siren system from NextEra earlier this year

Dec. 6, 2022 3:06 pm

A storm siren stands at the intersection of A Avenue and First Street NW in Cedar Rapids on May 15, 2013. (The Gazette)

The Linn County Emergency Management Agency has added seven outdoor warning sirens throughout rural Linn County that previously were in Benton County.

In addition to the newly installed sirens, Linn County EMA is now responsible for the operation and maintenance of the outdoor warning sirens within Walford, Fairfax and Ely. In total, Linn County now owns and operates around 150 emergency sirens in the county.

The new sirens are located at:

Palisades Kepler State Park

Intersection of Bertram Road and Berry Road

Intersection of Campbell Road and Secrist Road

Intersection of Prairie Chapel Road and Stone City Road

Matsell Bridge Park

Boy Scout Road south of Howard H. Cherry Scout Reservation

Wapsie Y Road directly across from the main entrance to YMCA’s Camp Wapsie

Linn County EMA Coordinator B.J. Dvorak said that when Duane Arnold Energy Center left Linn and Benton counties its outdoor warning system, 10 of the sirens were available to move from Benton to Linn County.

“Seven of the 10 were placed in areas of Linn County that have never had outdoor warning siren coverage before,” Dvorak told The Gazette. “Many of the locations are particularly vulnerable with little to no shelter or they have very minimal cellular reception.”

The cost to move and install the sirens was $44,874, funded by Linn County property tax dollars. Currently, the cost of a brand-new outdoor siren is around $40,000, Dvorak said, and used ones cost around $25,000.

The county took ownership of the siren system this year from NextEra. The company owns the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo. NextEra donated the sirens within the Emergency Planning Zone, a 10-mile ring around the Duane Arnold Energy Center.

NextEra donated 144 Whelen outdoor sirens and four control stations — together worth more than $1 million — to the Linn County agency. NextEra had owned the system for three decades, but the county has always been responsible for activation. While it was no cost to receive ownership, maintenance for the sirens will cost over $175,000 per year.

The siren system is monitored by two 24-hour emergency dispatch centers, Dvorak said. The warning system in Linn County is activated by human interaction only. Many of the sirens are also solar-powered so if the power goes out, the sirens still work.