Kodiak officials debate replacement of city warning sirens

KODIAK, Alaska – Kodiak officials are calling for an assessment of the city’s siren system.

Sirens that warn of tsunamis are part of the island city’s emergency preparation services.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports the city’s 12 sirens were installed in the 1980s and ’90s.

Police Chief Tim Putney told city officials last week that extensive repairs were recently completed on a siren near the harbourmaster’s office and another is being fixed.

Three sirens don’t work and others feature some level of rusting on their speakers.

The city’s capital funding request lists tsunami siren replacement as its second highest priority.

Councilman John Whiddon says the city needs to establish whether current sirens need replacing, how many sirens are necessary, where they should be located and what model would be best suited to Kodiak.