Emergency Management

Girard Emergency Management

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate Release

May 21, 2013

FFI:  Chase D. Waggoner (620)724-6216

GIRARD TO RESUME WEEKLY STORM SIREN TESTS

Girard, KS - The Girard City Emergency Management Department announced today that the City will resume weekly tests of the Outdoor Warning Sirens beginning Friday, May 24.

The tests will be held at 12:00 Noon with a back-up test time of 4:00 PM in the event that the firefighters who conduct the weekly tests are out of the station on a call.  The City will refrain from testing sirens on days in which weather conitions may cause residents to think that the test is an actual storm siren activation.

The City usually discontinues weekly testing of the outdoor warning sirens in the late fall, when the risk of tornadoes and severe weather is at its lowest, resuming the weekly tests in the Spring.  Girard is pushing up the testing schedule after last Monday's storm in which some of the City's sirens failed to activate properly.  According to City Emergency Manager, Chase  D. Waggoner, crews are actively working on the affected sirens, problems which Waggoner believes stem from a federal mandate requiring a change in the radio frequencies of which the sirens are activated.  Other cities in the region experienced similar issues with their sirens.

"Emergency radios across the nation have had to be reprogrammed to meet the new federal guidelines," said Waggoner "our sirens activate off of a radio signal broadcast from the fire station and since we had multiple units that didn't activate, it's likely that the radio signal on our transmitter wasn't matching up with the receiving unit on some of the sirens."

Citizens should be aware that while the City expects to have the sirens up and running within the week, they are only one element of the emergency notification system.  Until the siren warning system is fully operational, early warning will be initiated by dispatching emergency response vehicles into each ward to alert the public.

"Outdoor warning sirens are primarily designed to notify people who are outside and aren't always audible inside, especially for people who have their windows closed and TV or radio playing in the house," said Waggoner, "like any piece of equipment, they can be affected by lightning, power outages, and constant exposure to the elements.  They're a great notification tool, but people are encouraged to also pay attention to television broadcasts and consider investing in a weather radio."

Waggoner says that the National Weather Service's website, http://www.weather.gov/  is another great way to learn about approaching storms.

If the sirens are activated during a weather emergency, citizens should immediately seek shelter in the lowest level of their home, away from windows and doors.  The City of Girard has partnered with USD 248 to provide severe weather shelters at Haderlein Elementary School as well as Girard High School.  The shelters are staffed by volunteers and usually open any time the city is under a tornado warning.  No pets are allowed in the shelters and smoking in the shelters is prohibited.  

For further information about emergency preparedness, contact the Girard Office of Emergency Management at (620)724-6216 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Cemetery Notice

Cemetery Notice

Reminder of Rules & regulations at the Girard Cemetery

by City Ordinance

Shrubbery, Flowers, & Trees

There shall be no shrubbery, flowers or trees planted in the cemetery by individuals.

Curbs

No person or persons owning a lot(s) will be permitted to place a curb around the lot(s) without first obtaining permission in writting from the Cemetery Sexton and in placing the curb, the top shall not be above the level of the grown so as to interfere in the mowing of the lot(s) with a lawn mower.

Memorial Day Flowers MUST Be Picked Up By:  

June10th, 2013

Exemption will be flowers in concrete/metal urns, staked blanket bouquets on mausoleums and flower baskets on the metal hanging crooks.

Police/Fire Mock Accident

Mock Accident

2012 Water Quality Report

2012_Water_Quality_Report.pdf

Population

If you'd like to know the Girard population statistics according the the US Census Please click link below.

Population.pdf (download link)

Project status

Click to enlarge

2012 will be a busy year of construction in Girard. In late spring the wastewater sytem upgrade will begin. Under this project, we will be replacing approximately 9170 lineal feet of open trench pipeline, 19,490 lineal feet of cured in place pipe, replacement of 114 manholes, and upgrading 3 lift stations. Once started, the project is estimated to be under construction for a period of thirteen months.

Read more: Project status