Arp tornado siren failure prompts relocation plans

ARP — The City of Arp’s tornado siren failed to go off during Monday’s severe weather, prompting their police chief to push for their siren to be relocated to City Hall.

According to our news partner KETK, the transformer that allows the siren to sound off, stopped working a couple weeks ago. Arp Police Department used Facebook to warn residents about a possible tornado on Monday morning prompting residents to voice their concerns on not having a reliable tornado siren.

The city’s electrical company that usually handles these issues, could not fix the transformer because the ground around the transformer is too wet. This is not the first time the siren has failed to do its job and Keegan said this problem could also stem from the siren having public access. Keegan told KETK the transformer was built on Arp ISD property around 10 years ago with the ability to be turned off if needed.

With the siren being attached to a baseball field batting cage, Keegan feels that someone unintentionally turned off the siren while trying make adjustments to the cage’s electrical settings. Keegan said this is not an Arp ISD issue and that he is working with the mayor to propose moving the transformer and siren to City Hall, where they cannot be turned off or potentially getting a new siren.

“This is going to be a pretty high priority,” Keegan said.

Keegan said he plans to get quotes on moving the siren to City Hall this week. The city council will vote on the proposal once they have an appropriate amount of quotes. Keegan’s goal is to set the process in motion by the first week of June to give Arp residents a sense of comfort as soon as possible.

If another tornado warning occurs before the siren is moved, Arp PD said officers will potentially pass through neighborhoods using their sirens and loud speakers to warn residents.