ARCANUM – The Village of Arcanum was recently approved for a federal Emergency Management Performance Grant, stated Mindy Saylor, director of the Darke County Emergency Management Agency. This grant is a matching grant, meaning the Village of Arcanum will incur 50 percent of the expense of two new warning sirens with battery backup, said Saylor.

“The paperwork still needs to be finalized,” said Bill Sinnes, the new village administrator for Arcanum. “Then the sirens can be ordered, and then we’ll install them.”

According to Saylor the sirens must be installed by June 30. These two sirens will ensure that people can still receive warning, even if the power is out during a storm, she said.

“From what I’ve learned about the tornado in Arcanum, the warning sirens did not activate because they lost power and didn’t have battery backup sirens,” said Saylor.

Saylor said this is the same grant that allowed Eldora, Wayne Lakes, and Versailles to purchase new warning sirens, because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has kept a focus on warning sirens for the last several years as part of their special projects grants.

“I believe in outdoor warning sirens; I think they’re a very useful tool in warning the public and getting everyone’s attention,” said Saylor. “A NOAA Weather Radio in your home is something everyone should consider as well. They’re reasonably priced, they’re available locally, and they give you information straight from the National Weather Service. NOAA Weather Radios are good to have year-round, not just for thunderstorms and tornadoes.”