10/07/2026
We are extremely excited for this project and the positive impact it is going to have on our community!
Putnam County has been awarded a $315,000 Outdoor Warning Siren Grant and a $66,000 Weather Alert Radio Grant from FEMA. The Next Generation Warning System Grant will allow us to enhance the outdoor warning sirens that currently exist and also install some new sirens. Currently, all outdoor warning sirens are owned by the cities they sit within. Those sirens are then activated by Putnam County’s Emergency Management Agency during a Tornado Warning. One key limitation of the current system is that all sirens are programmed the same, meaning when one siren is activated all sirens activate. The new upgrades will allow each siren to be activated automatically when the National Weather Service issues the warning, and allow sirens to activate individually, only using the number of sirens necessary to alert the area under threat. The Weather Radio grant will allow us to give out another 2,000 radios to our citizens. More info to come on both grants.
You can read the full press release below:
Putnam County to Receive $315,000 in Outdoor Warning Siren Grant
Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Next Generation Warning System Grant, Putnam County is set to receive funding to enhance outdoor warning sirens across the county. The grant will also allow installation of new warning sirens across the county.
Currently, all outdoor warning sirens are owned by the municipalities they sit within. Those sirens are then activated by Putnam County’s Emergency Management Agency during a Tornado Warning. One key limitation of the current system is that all sirens are programmed the same, meaning when one siren is activated all sirens activate. The new upgrades will allow each siren to be activated automatically when the National Weather Service issues the warning, and allow sirens to activate individually, only using the number of sirens necessary to alert the area under threat.
“This is a huge opportunity for us to upgrade our systems and processes. This technology will allow us to better inform our community and expand our alerts beyond just inside the cities.” stated Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter.
Putnam County EMA Director Brandon Smith echoed the importance of the grant funding, “We are thankful to Commissioner Sheehan and staff at the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority for pursuing this grant that allows counties to be sub grantees. The ability to activate sirens individually, and automatically when the warning is issued will make our community safer, and answers concerns we've also heard from our community” Smith stated.
Mayor Porter added, "We have always prioritized emergency alert and warning in Putnam County. We have received grants to provide NOAA Weather Alert Radios free of charge, and have another grant coming up to give our another 2,000 of those radios. It is the single most important thing we are tasked with in government, is finding ways to keep our residents safe," he concluded.
While some communities across the country are doing away with outdoor warning sirens, Putnam County is leaning in and looking for ways to enhance the system. “We have heard from many of our residents that they want the sirens and they rely on them. Even with the technology of today, the sirens add value in certain scenarios and we want to ensure we have every possible means of keeping our community safe that we can have.” Mayor Porter explained.
“We heard from survivors of the 2020 tornado that they heard an outdoor warning siren and it was the only thing that woke them up to get to shelter. The cell phone network and internet was damaged before the storm reached Putnam County, so those systems weren’t reliable. When the sirens sounded, in the quiet of the night, it was a scenario where people could hear them that normally wouldn’t have. We don’t consider sirens a first line of warning, but they are certainly beneficial in the right situation,” Smith concluded.
EMA staff have been working to identify locations for new sirens based on population density and terrain and are working with TEMA and FEMA to ensure funding is used in a timely manner. The Putnam County grant allocation is part of a larger $10.6 million dollar award for the state.
