Elgin's Emergency Sirens Are Staying the Same, Fire Chief Says

The city of Elgin will not be making changes to its outdoor emergency siren system, even though some residents have complained about it. Fire Chief Robb Cagann made that announcement at a City Council meeting on Wednesday night. He said the sirens are working exactly as they should, and the city plans to help people better understand what to do when they hear them.

Some residents had posted on social media saying they were confused about why the sirens went off during strong thunderstorms and not just tornadoes. They compared the situation to the fable of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.' They worried that if the sirens sound too often, people might stop taking them seriously.

Chief Cagann said he looked into several ideas to address the confusion. One idea was to use different siren tones so people could tell the difference between a tornado warning and a severe thunderstorm warning. He liked that idea at first, but changed his mind after doing research. 'I can't find one resource that says we should do it,' he said.

The reason the different-tones idea didn't work is that new residents or visitors might not know what each sound means. There would be no good way to teach everyone during a dangerous storm. Cagann said everyone already understands one simple rule: one siren sound means danger, and you need to find shelter right away.

Elgin's siren system was upgraded three years ago with new technology connected to the National Weather Service. The sirens go off automatically when the weather service issues a warning for tornadoes or severe thunderstorms with winds of 75 miles per hour or higher, or hail that is 1.75 inches or larger. The city has 25 outdoor sirens in total.

Cagann said the sirens are mainly meant for people who are outside when dangerous weather hits. People already inside should go to a safe place away from windows and check TV, radio, or other sources for updates. The city is also encouraging residents to sign up for weather alerts at alerts.smart911.com.

Instead of changing the sirens, Elgin plans to run a public education campaign using social media, TV, and other marketing tools. The main message is simple: seek shelter first, then get more information. Cagann wants everyone to know that acting quickly when a siren sounds can save lives.

Illinois has had 196 reported tornadoes so far this year — the highest number of any state in the country. Mississippi is second with 83, and Texas is third with 51. Cagann said Illinois had its warmest and most active April on record, and called the changing weather patterns something that 'very clearly' is happening.

In a surprising moment, sirens actually went off during the City Council meeting itself, just as it was starting around 6:10 p.m. Everyone went to the basement of City Hall until the storm passed. There were no tornadoes, but strong winds knocked down trees and power lines.

Mayor Dave Kaptain joked that Cagann really knew how to make a point with his presentation. Cagann said the council did exactly the right thing by stopping the meeting and taking shelter. He called their quick action a good example for the whole community to follow.