After years of preparation and hard work, the Village of Pachuta now has a public warning siren.
The area has requested a siren for years, and they have been diligently working to procure the funds needed to make it happen.
“James Skidmore had been begging for this public warning siren since 1994,” explained Tyler Kirkman, a firefighter with the Pachuta Volunteer Fire Department. “When I was an employee with the Village of Pachuta, we were able to obtain a grant for it through East Mississippi Economic Development and had to go through some obstacles to get everything in order. After Covid hit, we had a hard time securing the money. When David Sharpe came to work for the county, he called and asked if we needed anything and was able to get the ball rolling where we were able to receive that funding.”
Now, the siren has been officially installed and is able to be used.
“We just had it installed, and they will test the siren the first Monday of every month at about 3:30 in the evening,” continued Kirkman. “It’s installed just behind the fire house, and people should be able to hear it several miles away.”
The siren will be beneficial to everyone living in the area, particularly when there is inclement weather.
“It’ll be a great benefit, especially for the elderly who don’t have smart phones or anything,” declared Kirkman. “A few months ago, AT&T’s phone lines went down and no one’s cell phone worked. That would be a benefit of the siren being there if that happens and something is going on. It will help the elderly and others without access to a smartphone know what’s going on.”
The siren will definitely have a positive impact on the residents in Pachuta.
