Emergency sirens being put up

Dexter DailyStatesman

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County 911 director Bill Pippins said new emergency sirens will be distributed to the different municipalities as soon as the required poles have been obtained by all cities in Stoddard County.

The county Industrial Development Authority Foundation Board recently sponsored Stoddard County 911 for a grant through the USDA Rural Development program which gave financing for the new sirens. The sirens were purchased with 75 percent grant money and a 25 percent loan from USDA covering the difference.

Pippins said he was pleased with the foundation board for helping with the project as he felt the new sirens would be beneficial to the county.

"We are the first county in the state of Missouri to have a countywide siren system," Pippins said.

"There are some towns that have gotten the sirens on their own, I'm sure. But Stoddard County is the first one in the state to get a siren for each municipality."

Pippins said the sirens are to be mounted on a 60-foot pole in each town, in a location where any warnings could best be heard. He explained that Dexter's siren will sit off north of Highway 60 after the first Dexter exit.