Township approves $250,000 siren-system upgrade plan; staff to use county-compatible equipment

Cascade Charter Township’s board approved a plan to expand and modernize its outdoor warning siren system to address gaps in coverage and replace aged equipment.

Chief Majors told the board the township had identified coverage gaps and aging hardware; $250,000 was approved in the capital improvement budget for the 2026 budget cycle. A procurement quote was presented to the board (the transcript records the bid amount as "1.94 9" and staff characterized the procurement as a January quote), and staff recommended Westshore Services and Federal Signal equipment to maintain county compatibility. Chief Majors said the county is upgrading its system and the township’s equipment must integrate with county frequencies and protocols: "Once the county updates theirs, once we update ours ... I believe it'll be a better system," he said.

Board members asked whether siren activations would be narrowed to specific areas once county and township upgrades are complete; Chief Majors confirmed that improved sectional alerting would reduce county-wide activations once integration is complete but noted the county currently controls siren activation.

Because Federal Signal-compatible equipment is available from only one local installer, staff described the project as sole-source to ensure seamless integration. Trustee Rizzi moved to approve the siren upgrade program and accept a January quote from Westshore Services; the board voted in favor.