Town council to consider bringing back sirens in nuclear “DPZ” zone

Town council is looking at possibly bringing back emergency sirens, particularly in case of a nuclear event. (Town of Amherstburg image)

A report will return to town council exploring an option to possibly install a pair of sirens (or more) in the town’s “Detailed Planning Zone” (DPZ) with one on Boblo Island and a second in the former Malden Township, in the zone that would be first impacted.

Two delegations appeared before town council encouraging town council to go down that route. Bill Petruniak said there was “no doubt that a combination tone and voice alert would greatly enhance public safety.” He said landline and cell phones can fail and simply having the “Amherstburg Alert” system is “inadequate, especially for people who are from areas outside Amherstburg.”

Petruniak believed “there is zero money in the town budget to pay for anything extra,” noting sewer projects, drainage work, electrical and water upgrades, asset management infrastructure, and more.

“Even with this financial burden, I believe the town must invest in a backup for the Amherstburg Alert system now, not later,” he said. “Now is the time to put resident safety first. Prove you are worthy of getting re-elected or get out of the way,” he said. “Start with (fire chief Michael) Mio’s proposal A, including a tone and voice system for zones F1 and F2 at a ballpark cost of $100,000. That’s ten funerals for people who didn’t receive an emergency warning, less than one negligent death lawsuit.”

Petruniak suggested getting costs on Open Air Weekends, to sell Belle Vue, sell surplus properties and collect back taxes as ways to fund it.

Alison Baldwin believed since the decommissioning of the former siren system in 2024, “we have lost an critical physical layer of mass notification. What remains is a system dependent on smartphones, registration, and the assumption that alerts are received and acted upon in real time. That is not redundancy. That is a single point of failure.”

Redundancy is fundamental to public safety, she said.

Baldwin didn’t believe Amherstburg Alerts reaches everyone equally, as not all residents have smart phones or have reliable internet. She also noted there are large public events that people wouldn’t check phones during.

“This is not hypothetical. It reflects real-world conditions during emergencies,” she said.

Baldwin also addressed funding issues, including an agreement with DTE Energy in Michigan. She wondered if council is presented “the full funding landscape” when evaluating decisions. She called for life-saving infrastructure to be prioritized.

Costs relating to a Freedom of Information request relating to emergency preparedness documentation totalled over $39,000, she added, something she couldn’t afford. Baldwin also told council of research and conversations with the premier’s office and that of officials with the State of Michigan.

“In an emergency, seconds matter and communication determines outcomes,” she said. “if even if a portion of the public is not reached in time, then system design must be questioned.”

Mio said the old sirens were damaged over time and failing also due to age.

In his report to council, Mio said sirens have been used to notify residents of a potential nuclear incident since the early 1960s. He said the National Attack Warning Siren (NAWS) System was implemented nationwide but by 1992, the NAWS system “was abandoned due to a lack of maintenance, outdated equipment, and technology that had reached the end of its useful life.”

Mio added: “In subsequent years, sirens were repurposed or replaced locally, particularly within the Tri-Community areas, to specifically alert residents in the detailed planning zone of a potential nuclear incident at the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant. These sirens remained in place until 2024, when they were removed following a comprehensive review of the public notification system. The decision reflected several factors; however, the primary considerations were replacement costs and the reduced effectiveness of sirens when compared with newer, more reliable notification technologies.”

The Amherstburg Alert notification system provides notification through multiple methods, including text messages, phone calls to landlines and/or cell phones, e-mail and mobile app notifications, Mio stated. He said there were 11,446 registered contacts on Amherstburg Alerts as of March 23. 

“In 2025, we issued a total of nine Amherstburg Alerts, including six severe thunderstorm warnings, one Boil Water Advisory, one notification to rescind, and one Test Message,” Mio stated.

According to the fire chief’s report: “As part of annual compliance, the Amherstburg Fire Department’s Emergency Management Division conducts mandatory testing of the Public Notification System during Emergency Management Week each May. A focus on the detailed planning zone in 2025 ensured the Bar Pointe and Bois Blanc residents were registered for Amherstburg Alerts, received KI pill distributions, and participated in a public education campaign to prepare for and respond to emergencies such as fires. 

Mio said “reintroducing an outdoor siren system in the Town of Amherstburg would be a complex and costly undertaking.” 

Three options were presented, including at least two sirens in the nuclear zone that would be first impacted, a broader all-hazards notification for the entire town with roughly 30 sirens or to continue to support Amherstburg Alerts.

“Any decision to reintroduce sirens in the F1/F2 areas or expand deployment more broadly must consider not just the cost of the siren head and pole but also the much larger expenses tied to design and engineering, installation, power and backup systems, communications equipment, software, site and lease costs, annual maintenance, and lifecycle replacements,” he said.

Mio added if council wants to re-implement sirens, a dedicated alerting position is also recommended.

“Depending on the Council’s direction, a more detailed cost estimate will be provided; however, funding for a comprehensive engineering and infrastructure study would be required. Initial pricing of $38,000 per siren (tone only) to $50,000 per siren (tone and voice), plus expenses for design and engineering, installation, power and backup systems, communications equipment, software, site and lease costs, annual maintenance, and lifecycle replacements,” Mio said.

Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb said messages have to be clear and concise when emergencies arise, and “I don’t think sirens achieve that.” He feared confusion with sirens. He cited a recent thunderstorm when he read on social media that people got their alerts but they heard sirens from Monroe, Michigan and it caused confusion.

“No one system is perfect,” said Gibb. “Using 1960s technology in today’s day and age doesn’t cut it with me.”

Councillor Diane Pouget made the motion to look at it in the DPZ zones and that cell phone towers can go down and landlines and televisions don’t work when the power goes out. Councillor Don McArthur also wanted a report on the matter, stating sirens aren’t an outdated tool. McArthur added the matter could be discussed further during 2027 budget deliberations.

Councillor Linden Crain agreed with Gibb that sirens could cause confusion and said his in-laws live near the Malden lakefront and he wondered if they would know what to do if they heard sirens.

Councillor Peter Courtney also favoured looking at a small siren system for nuclear events, calling for funding to help pay for it. Mayor Michael Prue said costs would be higher than just the initial siren costs but also supported the motion with Councillor Molly Allaire, Courtney, McArthur, and Pouget. Prue also called the $39,000 Baldwin was asked to pay “outrageous.” 

Town council to consider bringing back sirens in nuclear “DPZ” zone

By Ron Giofu