YCSO utilizing European Hi-lo sirens to notify residents of mandatory evacuations

Sheriff says new sound is ‘more distinct’ and will alert folks better

Yuba County residents may be hearing an unfamiliar sound coming from Yuba County Sheriff’s Office vehicles as the department adds Hi-lo sirens to its fleet.

The Hi-lo siren is a European style siren that will be used by the sheriff’s office to notify people that a mandatory evacuation is underway, Yuba County Sheriff Wendell Anderson said.

Anderson said the new siren, which goes from a higher to lower pitch, is “more distinct” and will get people’s attention much quicker in situations when evacuations are necessary. The sirens will be used by vehicles all over the county in both the foothills and the valley.

So far, two-thirds of the department’s vehicles have been equipped with the new siren, including all the vehicles that serve the foothill part of the county. Anderson said the new sirens will be used mostly in the event of a mandatory evacuation due to fire. Law enforcement agencies in Nevada, Butte, Napa and Sonoma counties have already added the Hi-lo siren to its vehicles, according to Anderson.

“The last couple of years have shown that we are in a region that fire is unfortunately a concern for everyone,” Anderson said.

The sheriff’s office is working with California Communications, a contractor from Yuba County, to have the new sirens installed on all vehicles “relatively soon.” Anderson said the challenge is to find the time to schedule the installation with the number of deputies who use each vehicle.

Anderson said that there’s been no need yet to use the new sirens, but if residents do hear the new noise they should evacuate immediately and after finding safe shelter check with emergency services to get more information.

The sheriff’s office will still use the door-to-door method to notify people of mandatory evacuations, but the Hi-lo siren is “just another tool” at the department’s disposal to keep people safe, according to Anderson.

The Yuba County Office of Emergency Services posted a video on its Facebook page that includes Anderson demonstrating the Hi-lo siren and comparing it to the normal siren people are used to hearing. A link to the video is: https://bit. LY/2PNIXJN (or find the video clip on the Yuba County Sheriff’s facebook page, as well.)