Early Warning Sirens Partnership

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Harris County Precinct 2 partnered with economic development and industrial stakeholders to purchase three early warning sirens for the City of Galena Park. Through this unique collaboration, the City will be equipped to operate and maintain the sirens -- meaning the City will choose how and when to activate the siren to alert residents of the need to shelter in place during an air toxics emergency or to communicate other urgent information. The sirens, which are strategically located in areas where no other early notification system is available, deliver messages in English and Spanish. This system matches existing siren technology that has long been available to other communities near our industrial corridor, but for myriad reasons had not been utilized in Galena Park, leaving the community underserved regarding emergency preparedness and response. Harris County Precinct 2 brought key stakeholders to the table and highlighted the disparity. Once economic development, industrial, and local government stakeholders shared situational awareness, each contributed financially and temporally to purchase, install, and educate our respective communities about the utility of early warnings through this siren network.