Town council asks for report from fire chief on emergency notification

Town council will get a report back from fire chief Michael Mio on emergency notification in Amherstburg, including a siren system. The siren that was located at H. Murray Smith Centennial Park is pictured here in 2023.

Town council has asked its fire chief for a report on emergency notifications, including another look at a new siren system.

Local resident Bill Petruniak referenced the emergency alert system, including sirens, at the July 14 meeting. He noted the catastrophic flooding in Texas that resulted in multiple deaths and terrible destruction that caused. He also noted his concerns in e-mails sent to town council, with some concerns being that phone notifications are not foolproof. 

Petruniak also pointed out that “if Fermi had a nuclear incident and released radiation, that radiation could generate an EMP pulse that could cause a mass electronic component failure - rare but possible with a large radiation leak. If people are like me and like to escape from electronics when I sleep, they would not receive a warning if their cell phones were turned off at night or during the day. There have been tremendous advances in warning system technology. The costs have dropped dramatically from even five years ago. Options for different types of audible warning sounds for different emergencies are seemingly unlimited.”

During the meeting, Petruniak stated “if you don’t get us some sirens, and we have an emergency, you are all to blame. If somebody gets hurt, if somebody dies, you are all to blame.”

Petruniak asked the matter be brought up under the new business portion of the agenda.

The town decommissioned its former siren system in 2023, with it having five siren sites in the community and two control boards and computers. According to a 2023 report from then-fire chief Bruce Montone, the equipment was reaching the end of its life with numerous failures. Montone stated three of the five sites were operating intermittently and that time and “significant repair costs would need to incurred to repair and upgrade the technical equipment and software.”

“If the municipality is to meet its legislated obligations with the use of sirens, three new sites are required. Poles, an electrical source and equipment needed to be installed which would be in the range of $150,000, assuming there is municipally owned land available in the required locations. If not, lease agreements would be required at additional cost,” Montone’s report stated.

The report from Montone also noted the town purchasing and installing the Amherstburg Emergency Mass Notification System, also known as “Amherstburg Alert,” from Enbridge in 2017 that uses landlines, cell phones, and e-mails as ways to alert residents in cases of emergency.

The matter was brought up late in the July 14 meeting, with current fire chief Michael Mio asked to bring back a report. 

Town council agreed with a motion from Councillor Diane Pouget to have a report brought back from Mio on “how we can improve our notification system to Amherstburg, whether or not sirens could be re-introduced or if he approves other means instead of notification.”

Pouget also noted the tragedy in Texas while making the motion. Councillor Peter Courtney believed the town would reiterate whether the town is doing its due diligence in getting out information in a timely manner when “mass devastation is about to happen.”

Courtney said its worthwhile to look at it and “put it to rest.”

Councillor Don McArthur said it is a serious issue, and noted previous reports have been before council on the sirens, the costs and “their ineffectiveness in certain situations for broad swaths of the town.”

McArthur added Mio is a new chief and the town already has the “Amherstburg Alert” Everbridge system. 

“It would be great to find out how many people have signed into the Everbridge notification system, roll it into (the new customer service strategy) Service Amherstburg in terms of letting folks know and getting them to sign up,” said McArthur. “I think a good pulse check on where we are with these emergency notifications is a good idea.”

Mayor Michael Prue said getting a report is in order, but said where the tragedy happened in Texas there was very little cell phone service.

“If people had one, they wouldn’t have gotten anything anyway,” he said, stating it is a very rural area. “Don’t just say because it happened in Texas it is going to happen here because the circumstances are very, very different.”

Town council asks for report from fire chief on emergency notification

By Ron Giofu