The DuPage Public Safety Communications, known as DU-COMM, has launched a new Fulton automated tornado siren system that provides a significant advancement in public safety technology for communities served by the agency, officials said.
In the past, the siren system was activated manually at DU-COMM’s 911 Center. Now, the new automated system enables real-time activation of outdoor warning sirens directly from the National Weather Service. That ensures faster, more consistent alerts during tornado warnings.
“The transition to automation enhances DU-COMM’s mission of providing efficient and timely emergency communications,” said Executive Director Jessica Robb. “By leveraging the Fulton system, we are strengthening our severe weather response and giving our communities the fastest possible warning when every second counts.”
The system is designed to reduce manual steps in activation, minimize response time, and enhance reliability, ultimately helping to save lives, she said.
Area officials in municipalities served by the system said it’s a positive change.
“This new automated tornado warning system from DU-COMM is a significant step forward in public safety for DuPage County,” said Hinsdale Village President Greg Hart. “By relying on real-time data directly from the National Weather Service and removing the need for manual activation, we’re reducing the risk of human error and ensuring faster, more precise alerts.
“For Hinsdale, that means residents will be notified more quickly and more accurately, especially in severe weather events when every second counts.”
Dave Godek, the fire chief and director of fire prevention in Clarendon Hills, quantified the potential safety benefit.
“It could save up to 3-5 minutes over when it was done manually, which could be very important because it gives people longer to get to a safe space ,” Godek said.
According to DU-COMM, key features of the new system include automated activation based on National Weather Service tornado warnings, geographic targeting of sirens to affected areas, improved speed and accuracy of alerts, and redundancy and monitoring capabilities to ensure system reliability.
Robb explained sirens are activated in zones that are part of what the National Weather Service describes as a polygon.
Polygon warnings are a system used by the National Weather Service to issue severe weather alerts for specific, delineated areas. Instead of issuing warnings for entire counties, the NWS can pinpoint the exact locations threatened by a storm using polygons defined by latitude and longitude coordinates.
Robb said it’s important for people to know that there are no all-clear notifications issued when a warning has expired, and the warning system’s primary role is outdoor notifications.
“We’ve had people say they were inside and didn’t hear it because they had the TV on or something,” she said, adding that warning notifications also are usually sent to cellphones and those watching TV or listening to a radio likely will be provided with warning information and updates.
DU-COMM is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1975 to provide public safety communications services to police, fire, and emergency medical services agencies.
The agency currently serves 45 agencies in DuPage County and is one of the largest consolidated 911 centers in Illinois.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
