Randy Smith, Brady Township Supervisor and chair of the Fire Authority board, is proud to point out the new installation of a siren that will sound whenever there is an immediate threat of severe weather approaching. It covers a two mile radius with its early warning system and was installed on the grounds of Indian Lake School last fall.
There is a large population of people around the east and south shore of Indian Lake, over 500 schoolchildren in the building nearby, and hundreds of residents in the Nazarene Camp who will be within earshot of the siren, according to Smith. “There are warning sirens in the Tobey School area, and in the villages of Vicksburg and Schoolcraft, but there was nothing to do the job at Indian Lake. Most of the camp residents and those on the lakeshore do not have basements in the event of a tornado. The campers and residents have been given information on where to seek shelter in above ground buildings,” Smith said.
Brady Township contributed $10,000 to the cost of the siren and a grant from The Vicksburg Foundation provided the remaining $10,000. The siren is activated by the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority chief or officers he might designate, with either a remote control device or by manually tripping the alarm at the station in Vicksburg for all four of the sirens according to Smith.