Shawnee County to add solar panels to 10 warning sirens

SHAWNEE COUNTY (KSNT) - Shawnee County is saving some money with its new environmentally friendly proposal.

This week, the county proposed to add solar panels to the outdoor warning sirens. After approval from commissioners, they are planning a test run. Ten solar panels will be placed on various outdoor warning sirens across the county.

While these sirens are a great way to notify the public of severe weather, the county still advises residents about having multiple methods.

"People still need to get a weather radio or have an alternate means to get notifications," Dusty Nichols, Director of Emergency Management for Shawnee County said. "So, don't rely on an outdoor siren because they are outdoors. They may or may not work. We do our best to keep them up and running, but occasionally they don't, so have redundant systems."

County officials say at this moment, they are unsure of how much money this could potentially save. The next steps will include assessing the sirens and finding out which would be the most cost-effective before adding the rest.