Residents Urged: Update Info to Receive Severe Weather Alerts

Lake Forest residents should expect to see a more efficient emergency communications system in the coming months, with city leaders considering improvements to their emergency warning sirens and Code Red Emergency Notification systems.

The changes come on the heels of a , causing thousands of dollars of damage to Lake Forest properties, and leaving many residents without power for several days.

“The staff has been working very diligently to improve its emergency management plan,” Lake Forest communications manager Susan Banks told city leaders.

Part of this effort is to make residents more informed about the emergency outdoor warning sirens.

The city has 13 radio frequency sirens, which sound as a warning for tornadoes and potential man-made disasters. Each siren is strategically placed in various sites around the city, and is rated for a one-mile radius.

Once the sirens are sounded, they will broadcast a voice recording stating the nature of the emergency.

“If you hear the siren, you need to seek shelter,” said Lake Forest Police Chief Joseph Buerger, explaining that in the past, many residents have called 911 in response to the sirens, which ties up the city’s emergency lines.

Buerger said the city is considering sounding an “all clear” signal when the storm passes. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to move to a safe place with a radio to keep them updated on the status of a passing storm.

The emergency warning sirens are different from the horns at the Deerpath Golf Course and , which serve as a lightning alerts and sound more like a car horn.

The current follow up to the sounding of the emergency warning siren is the city’s Code Red Emergency Notification, which can contact residents by phone in targeted, geographically defined areas, or contact all numbers in the city’s Code Red system.

“We recommend everyone update their information at least once per year,” said Buerger, who added this system allows the city to contact 50,000 phone numbers within one minute.

Residents can access the Code Red system on the city of Lake Forest website.

The city also is considering adding a text-messaging feature to the system in the near future.

Monday’s update came in response to the expressed frustration of , which was charged with restoring service to Lake Forest, as well as every other municipality in the Chicago area affected by the storms.

The city hopes to establish a better system of communication with residents since damaging storms have become more frequent in nature.

“It’s a great way to communicate with residents, especially when the power goes out,” said Lake Forest Mayor James Cowhey.