Tornado Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service when a
tornado has been sighted by an officially trained weather spotter or is
indicated by radar. Tornado Warnings are broadcast by local media.
Outdoor Warning Devices (Sirens)
Sirens operated by Ford County Emergency Management are located in strategic locations throughout Ford County including the cities of Bucklin, Ford, Spearville and Dodge City. When a tornado warning is issued for any portion of the county, Ford County Emergency Communications (911 Dispatch) will activate the sirens. Once activated all sirens within Ford County except those individually controlled by outlying cities will sound. This means if a tornado warning is issued for the eastern half of Ford County, all sirens will be activated including those in west Ford County.
Do not call 911 when you hear an Outdoor Warning Siren. Instead, first tune into local media for news and weather reports. If, after doing so, you believe the siren activation is a malfunction contact Emergency Management at 620-801-4401.
Ford County Sirens are tested every Wednesday at noon except when threatening weather is present.
A Word About Sirens
Sirens are designed to be an early warning device primarily for persons who are outside away from the television and/or radio. The sirens are not frequently heard in homes during Spring and Summer Months for multiple reasons such as the distance from the siren, homes being shut up with air conditioners running and people being asleep during night time storms with thunder, rain and wind. For this reason Emergency Management officials highly recommend citizens keep a NOAA weather alert radio in their homes, preferable in the bedroom, with a tone alert.
Presentations by Emergency Management Staff are available.
Just call 620-801-4401, or email us to discuss preferred topics or to schedule a presentation