APRIL 17, 2026 ANN ARBOR A2 proposes dismantling emergency sirens despite increasing threats JAY COOPER Groundcover contributor Author's note: The City of Ann Arbor announced April 15, following a tornado and severe thunderstorm warning, that it decided to retain and invest in its outdoor warning siren system. "We’re grateful for the thoughtful input shared by thousands of community members about the sirens and the city's other emergency warning tools." Ann Arbor is considering replacing their outdoor sirens with beeping buzzing phones. This is in line with what I've come to expect from Ann Arbor policies — sleek, modern and completely devoid of empathy for the most vulnerable. Also, as is to be expected from Ann Arbor governance, it’s a lie. The phone alerts already exist — they inexplicably want to get rid of the vitally redundant sirens. The three core principles listed for dismantling the sirens are: public safety effectiveness, clarity and comprehension, and responsible use of public funds. All three are absurd. Sirens are effective. They’re loud and when people hear them they know something is amiss and to seek more information. Sirens are clear signs that (unless it’s the predetermined testing day and time) there is something wrong. Sirens are an extremely responsible use of public funds. I cannot explain this penny-pinching at the expense of the most vulnerable, except that maybe some billionaire doesn’t like the sound once a month. Below the principles, on the website [https://engage.a2gov.org/ siren-review] it states: "Decommissioning sirens does not mean reducing emergency warning capability." All evidence points to the contrary. In regards to cost, they say the sirens will cost $60,000 each of the next three years to repair, and $17,000 annually to maintain. To claim this as a problem is disgusting. The fact they tried means they think you’re too stupid to look at how rich the city is. Sirens save lives, and this cost is pennies to the budget for a city like Ann Arbor, harvesting property taxes from billionaires. The projected increase in City revenue from property taxes for fiscal year 2027 is 4.58% or $2.8 million, the projected state shared revenue increase is 1% or $100,000, and the projected parking revenue increase is 6.8% or $253,000. Ann Arbor made $1.2 million taxing marijuana alone in fiscal year 2026, according to a presentation made by Marti Praschan at the March 23, 2026 FY27 Budget Working Session. In the face of serious concerns such as the deaths caused by lack of sirens in Texas' flood alley (see www. npr.org/2025/07/11/nx-s1-5460863/ flood-sirens-texas-warning) and in the Palisades fire (see file.lacounty. gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/207915. pdf), posing risks to people without cell phones, including homeless and elderly folk, Emergency Manager Sydney Parmenter responded with a firehose of damage control. Concerns were met with unscientific nonsense, the runaround, and lies you can evaluate yourself by visiting engage.a2gov.org/siren-review. (Emergency Manager is a title which sends chills up this Michigander's spine, though in this case she appears to be an emergency response coordinator, not a tinpot dictator that takes undemocratic control over Black towns. You can see how the grotesque euphemisms white supremacist systems use to steal your civil rights muddy the waters of communication and clarity.) Parmenter cannot honestly respond to interrogations of this proposal in good faith because the proposal doesn't hold water. In LA County's Palisades fire postmortem, it states the obvious: "While redundancies in communication mechanisms exist in the county, they still rely on effective cellular coverage and do not work when there is poor cellular coverage or when commercial power is lost to an area. Cellular coverage is weakened when there are fewer cell towers in an area, while signal quality suffers when its use exceeds available capacity or when heavy smoke from a fire interferes, reflects or absorbs radio signals." In other words, we need redundancy beyond the cellular. Power outages, technical difficulties, fires, cyberattacks and even the uptick in cell phone usage during an emergency can prevent people from getting the alerts on their phones, but Parmenter will hear none of it. She suggests you carry your cellphone on the river. She simply does not know how many elderly residents don't use cell phones. For any question of redundancy, Parmenter points to the Ann Arbor emergency alerts page (www.a2gov.org/alerts) which lists four channels of emergency alerts: A2 Emergency Alerts, which are signal-dependent via phone, email or text; Outdoor Warning Sirens, which they want to dismantle; Weather and Public Radio, which is partially signal-dependent as some people can only listen to these stations via Wi-Fi or cellular signal; and Wireless Emergency Alerts, which are entirely signal-dependent. Parmenter's non-answers parading as answers ring hollow and circuitous as she attempts to cite sensible emergency response wisdom that runs counter to her intentions. When asked about cell outages she responds, "It is best practice to utilize multiple tools to ensure emergency communications are issued and accessible." Did she forget the context in which this discussion is happening? The topic on the table is dismantling one of the multiple tools we use to ensure emergency communications are issued and accessible! She did not forget — she is redirecting, she is distracting. Another weird assertion that Parmenter makes is that sirens can't be heard inside. For decades when I had a home in Ann Arbor, I could hear the sirens. I'd say to myself: "Is it test Tuesday or should I be worried?" and I'd check the calendar to make sure I didn't need to duck and cover. Others, such as Groundcover associates Cynthia and Sim, attest that sirens sound very loudly inside their houses. So not only is it complete nonsense that you can't hear the sirens when you're inside, it also completely ignores the safety of people who aren't inside. If Ann Arbor were a humane place that sheltered its residents, maybe it would make sense to only consider those indoors, but Ann Arbor slumlords ratchet up rents, kick people out to get better rates on AirBnB, and tear down homes to build more expensive structures meant for the wealthy and their children. While we absolutely should (and already do) have cellular alerts explaining the nature of disasters, they are not a replacement for sirens. Just because something is old does not mean it is bad. Sirens are not affected by cellular outages, they are not disrupted by the uptick in cellular usage during an emergency as everyone tries to contact loved ones, and they are not nearly as susceptible to cyberattacks or technical failure. They work. They've worked for over a century, and the evidence says if we dismantle them, people will die. GROUNDCOVER NEWS What’s Happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Open 10am–8pm Daily Visit any of our five locations across town to browse books, magazines, newspapers, and more. Check out movies, CDs, art prints, musical instruments, or even home tools—you name it! Enjoy fast and free WiFi, study and meeting rooms, and plenty of comfortable spaces to relax or hang out. Fifth Ave Press AADL founded Fifth Ave Press in 2017 to support the local writing community and promote the creation of original content. The imprint publishes works by authors who live in Washtenaw County. Consider submitting your finished manuscript to Fifth Avenue Press today at fifthave.aadl.org. Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled This free service loans books, magazines, & videos in alternative formats (audiobooks, large print, Braille books & magazines, and descriptive video) to individuals who are unable to read or use standard printed materials. Visit aadl.org/wlbpd/apply to apply. 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