Gaylord police chief: Cell phone alert system is 'siren for 2022'
GAYLORD — Gaylord Police Chief Frank Claeys defended the system that uses cell phones and not sirens to warn of severe weather following a tornado that pummeled the city on May 20.
Claeys told the city council Monday night the twister touched down in Gaylord at about 3:45 p.m..
"Prior to that we got the Code Red alert and that system gave about an eight-minute warning to people," he said.
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The Code Red system is set up through Otsego County Emergency Management. The county does not have tornado sirens and instead uses Code Red to send alerts directly to a cell phone.
"That is something we had a lot of questions about is why we don't have sirens downtown," Claeys said. "That Code Red system is the siren for 2022. It's effective in that it gives you information and not just some noise so you can go outside to see what is going on. It's a broader system and it allows for use on different events (like missing persons and fire threats)."
Claeys said no system is without benefits and drawbacks.
With Code Red "you don't just receive a blanket alarm warning," Claeys said. "You get actual useful instructions to take actions that matter. In 2022, we feel most people are equipped with a cell phone."
Claeys said in an area with a spread out population like much of Northern Michigan, it's hard for a siren system to be effective.
"For the folks out in Hayes Township, the likelihood of them hearing a siren is low," added Claeys. "People that are close to the location of the siren benefit (but) the people on the outskirts or if an event happens in winter when windows are closed, the hearing is diminished."
Otsego County residents can sign up for the Code Red alerts at this website.
Claeys said the twister came just as his department was going through a shift change and that meant he had twice as many officers available immediately than he normally would have.
Separately, city manager Kim Awrey is scheduled to meet with officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If the damages from the storm total more than $20 million, the city will be eligible for federal funding that will help pay for some of the costs associated with the storm, such as debris cleanup and overtime pay for first responders and city staff.
"The $20 million is not just the city, it's for the whole county," Awrey said, adding that she is confident the damage estimate will exceed that amount.
Meanwhile, Mayor Todd Sharrard paid tribute to all who came from different parts of the state to help out after the storm.
"It's been a heartfelt thank you to all the souls that (came) into our community. It means so much that Michigan came together to help Gaylord," said Sharrard.
Councilman Vic Ouellette, who lost his home and saw his wife injured by the tornado, also noted how the community came together in response.
"I didn't see Republicans or Democrats. I just saw people working together. This is truly a community," he said.
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