The Spatial Distribution of Siren Acoustics in Columbiana County, Ohio

iii In the United States, sirens are used as a first warning alert and the citizens depend on the warnings. Recent interest in warning citizens about a dangerous event has sparked a second look at the sirens soundings that are utilized. This study researched Columbiana County, Ohio to determine 1) what areas are covered by available sirens, 2) if meteorological, terrain and land cover affect the siren acoustics, 3) what type of land cover areas are outside of the sound coverage areas, and 4) if the siren codes used are standard across the county. Data were collected in situ and by interviewing officials from the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency, municipal governments, fire departments and public utilities in order to create maps using ESRI ArcGIS 10.1. The results showed five areas outside of the siren Euclidean coverage range that did include urban areas and an open air market. A comparison using a viewshed analysis showed that sound within the Euclidean distance buffer may not reach the entire area because of terrain effects. Data collected demonstrated that all sirens are not sounded for every event and siren codes were not standard across the county. The discussion offers suggestions for remedying some of the problems.