WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — The City of Wheat Ridge announced it is retiring its outdoor siren emergency notification system.
The city said its siren system, which was installed in 2008, is "outdated." The city said getting rid of the outdoor sirens will also save money.
Wheat Ridge has 15 outdoor sirens located around the city.
"This technology has reached the end of its life and is frankly archaic," Wheat Ridge Police Department (WRPD) posted to social media. "There are a number of reasons to move forward and save the city money in the process."
"These sirens were installed in 2008 and were funded through grants with the 911 Authority," WRPD said. "Sixteen years later, the replacement parts for these systems are no longer available. Arvada de-commissioned their siren system about two years ago, and Lakewood is also following suit."
A Lakewood spokesperson said the city is currently conducting an internal evaluation of the warning sirens and has not made a decision yet to retire its sirens.
According to Wheat Ridge police, it would cost between $1.5 million to $3 million to replace its 15 outdoor sirens.
"On top of that, the sirens have only been activated one time over the past five years for a hail incident. The rest have been tests. We are encouraging every Wheat Ridge resident to sign up for Lookout Alert through Jefferson County," said WRPD.
"We do not believe that would be a responsible use of taxpayer money," WRPD said. "Maintaining these towers costs more than $9,000 every year. That money can be better spent elsewhere, compared to free notification systems and social media."
Wheat Ridge police said the public can sign up for emergency alerts for weather and police situations based on their address at Lookout Alert.
"We know there are concerns with our elderly residents getting notifications," said WRPD. "If you know of someone who does not have access to a smartphone, landline, email, TV or radio and have concerns about them getting notifications, reach out to our department and we will work with that individual directly to make sure they are informed."
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