DeWitt County has been discussing whether or not to take ownership of emergency sirens that are set to be decommissioned by Constellation Clean Energy. 

At Thursday night's DeWitt County Board Meeting, Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Will Paveleck provided the board with additional information and updated numbers regarding the 40 sirens that are available to be taken over. 

The board voted no to taking over the 40 sirens in 2022; however, after discussions with State's Attorney Dan Markwell, Paveleck believes a change in language would allow the board to take over fewer of them. He feels that around 10 sirens for areas with bad cell service in the County would be appropriate. 

The board has time to come to a decision, as the sirens are not set to be decommissioned until the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028. This is due to delays in plan approvals in the State and Federal emergency management agencies. 

Paveleck reminds that the primary source of alert for nuclear emergencies at the power plant will be through a system called IPAWS. Constellation pays for the backup service, which is called Everbridge, and both of these methods notify you through your phone. 

Board Chair Joe Witte thanked Paveleck for the update, and noted that there will be further discussions on the topic in future Public Safety Committee meetings.