RUSTON, La.( KTVE/KARD) – The city of Ruston announced severe weather warning sirens will soon be replaced by CodeRed alert system.
Mayor Ronny Walker says there are more efficient methods to communicate the threat of severe weather to citizens..
“We have some areas of our city pockets that may not hear the sirens. The weather and even the foliage on the trees during the Summer time, that stops the sound from going in some areas. We just didn’t have the coverage that we were looking for.”
Code-Red is the free community notification system available to Ruston citizens via text messages, emails, and phone calls. Walker says residents are strongly encouraged to register to stay up to date with what is happening in your community, emergencies and information on a mass scale.
“On your phone with CodeRed it actually says, it’s a tornado, or a flash flood or whatever the event might be. it’s just more efficient.”
But some residents may argue that keeping both systems could be a better choice.
“I understand a lot of people in rural areas can’t hear the sirens, but I think you should just keep both rather than just emerge from one to the other,” said Prentise Rogers, a resident.
“I believe they should do both. Keep the sirens going, and do the digital,” added
David Cook, another local.
The city of Ruston has provided a video for a walkthrough of the sign up process for a more effective way to communicate with citizens.
Mayor Walker said there is no specific date on when the severe weather warning sirens will be removed at this moment.
If you would like to sign up for the CodeRed alert system, you can click here.
