Todd County says $5 million radio grant won; officials flag siren coverage gaps

Todd County’s emergency management official told commissioners the county was part of a regional effort that secured a $5,000,000 grant to upgrade radio systems shared with Logan and Christian counties.

The official also reported $10,118.03 on the county disaster declaration ledger and $120,597.50 received from CSX; those funds will be apportioned to departments once dispersal decisions are finalized. Staff said they are reviewing a cybersecurity grant and that half of the Cornerstone bill has been paid.

On alerting, the official said recent siren tests indicate some residents did not hear the sirens indoors and that current sirens are designed for people outside, suggesting coverage gaps for household residents. The county’s emergency operations plan is roughly 80% complete, and an LEPC meeting and a DES meeting were scheduled to follow up.

The official characterized the siren problem as a technical and coverage issue and said options include additional sirens or alternate notification methods such as radio or other redundant systems. No formal funding vote for siren upgrades was taken at this meeting.