If they haven’t done it already, Oceanport will soon have workers out attempting to fix one of the four sirens that function as part of the borough’s emergency response system.
Whether they’ve made it out there or not, the borough should think about junking the sirens for good.
Residents in the area of such alarms invariably find the blasts intrusive and, considering the advances in communication technology, it makes sense to pursue an alternative system.
Indeed, the borough already has a parallel system of scanners and radios that volunteers have to get word that they are needed.
If it is necessary to expand or improve that system, residents would assuredly find the expense worthwhile.
The siren system is a remnant of the Cold War, when it was originally set up as an early warning system in the event of foreign attack. As a means of reaching people in the community today, surely there is a better solution.
Considering that the cost of replacing the system is estimated to be between $75,000 and $100,000, there has to be a less intrusive system that is every bit as reliable. In all likelihood it could be purchased for a fraction of that cost.
Evidence of the system’s obsolescence is the fact that it can sit in disrepair with no discernible effect on borough emergency services for months at a time.
Now is not the time to fix the sirens, but to get rid of them.