Windsor fire chief wants emergency warning system
Technology is already being used in Tecumseh and Leamington
After a year that saw a tornado tear through parts of Windsor and Lasalle and flooding fill hundreds of basements, the city's fire chief is hoping council will finally fund an emergency warning system.
For the second straight year, Bruce Montone is asking Windsor's municipal politicians to shell out the $65,000 needed to provide a system that will get the word out when disaster strikes.
According to the chief, businesses and individuals would register their phone numbers and email addresses with the municipality, which could then contact them during an emergency.
Similar systems are already being used in Tecumseh and Leamington, and Montone said a notification system comes with advantages over the more traditional siren method that's used in Amherstburg.
"To re-install a system like that in a community of our size would be in the neighbourhood of $2 million, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual maintenance and operating costs," he explained. "This alternative is significantly more advanced, in terms of technology, and much, much cheaper."
Social media not enough
Windsor currently relies on social media posts and pubic notices on the city website to get word out when things go wrong.
Montone said those methods don't go far enough during a crisis.
"It limits us, in terms of those we might reach, and by providing the public an opportunity to register various methods of notification, we're going to be able to reach out to a larger majority of our citizens," he said.
The chief estimates it would cost $40,000 for the hardware for the emergency warning system and about $25,000 annually to use it.
Last year council denied Montone's request, but the recommendation is once again part of the 2017 proposed budget.
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