Tornado Sirens Part 2: A Dumb Solution For Dumb Animals

Evidently a local t.v. station has decided to make putting "tornado sirens" a news story, when the bulk of Lubbock could give a crap. It's a typical sixth grade solution for a sixth grade audience. LOUD NOISES. How this station succeeds by appealing to the lowest common denominator in this town is both amazing and an embarrassment.  More after the jump.

Sirens, among other problems, create a false sense of security. Instead of keeping abreast of the weather on bad days, people just "wait for the sirens" (which may or may not be fired at an appropriate time). Then, after the first or second false alarm, people will quit paying attention to them just like car alarms. Next, Lubbock is so spread out that you'd never get full country coverage. Also, you'll get complaints about them in some neighborhoods because they're eyesores. And on, and on....how about we behave like responsible, educated adults, watch the weather when things have the potential to be bad and TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. You have a better chance of dying by falling out of bed, or being ripped apart by wild dogs than being killed by a tornado. You have a better chance of dying in a FLOOD in LUBBOCK than dying by tornado. You are 3x more likely to die in a plane crash. You have a better chance of being LEGALLY EXECUTED. It's time to switch t.v. channels and get real.

Yes, tornado sirens could save lives, but you'll never know how many lives are lost because people relied on them instead of being ahead of the sirens by staying up to the minute on weather conditions.  Sirens are a knee-jerk 1950's solution to something that is rarely a problem any more (reaching people with warnings).  We have better technology out there and any funds available should be used to implement reverse 911 and other systems.  We are not big dumb animals (most of us anyways) that respond to a loud bell.  A siren TELLS YOU NOTHING, it only makes you aware of something that you should have been paying attention to hours earlier.

I suspect the t.v. station is question is just looking for some public service to hand their hat on, and/or rent space on their town for the sirens.  Don't listen to these "chicken little" types who will tell you the sky is falling while lining their pockets.  Do some research.  Check out that link in the story earlier (it takes you to a story about Joplin residents ignoring tornado sirens).  Do a tiny bit of homework before your tax dollars are tapped once again.