Ottawa County upgrades severe weather siren technology to give residents more time to prepare
Ottawa County Emergency Management has invested in new cloud-based weather alert technology, which officials say is safer and more accurate.
WEST OLIVE — Ottawa County Emergency Management has invested in new cloud-based weather alert technology, which officials say is safer and more accurate.
Until now, sirens had to be manually turned on once a warning was issued by the National Weather Service. With the new software, sirens will be triggered automatically and only within the specific warning polygon issued by the NWS, as opposed to a quadrant or the whole county.
The new system from Federal Signal, called CommanderOne, is an update of the Commander system the county previously used. Ottawa County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Schroeder spearheaded the upgrade, which cost the county roughly $10,000.
A news release from Ottawa County Sheriff Eric DeBoer said the two-year project reflects a commitment to modernizing infrastructure.
“The project represents a significant investment in improving how emergency warnings are delivered throughout Ottawa County and reflects the county’s continued commitment to public safety, preparedness, and modern emergency communications,” the statement said.
The investment comes amid a deadly tornado season that has already broken Michigan’s yearly average, and much earlier on. This is only the continuation of a worrying trend, as last year had the third most tornadoes in Michigan history.
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Schroeder said the new system is significantly safer, as it gives residents a more accurate and immediate warning while giving the department more time to assess and warn others in the storm path. Despite the removal of the very initial human element, Schroeder said he is almost always behind his computer during severe weather events.
“This gives instant notification instead of waiting around,” Schroeder said. “We like the fact that this gets the system going earlier.”
Schroeder said the new system is nearing full implementation, with only two more computers in the county waiting to be updated. In the meantime, he said he has already been able to set off Ottawa County’s tornado sirens from his phone using the new software.
“I can be in California and find out that Ottawa County has a tornado warning or a request from the fire chief of the area to hit their sirens, and I can do that from just about anywhere,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder previously served as Ottawa County’s local emergency planning coordinator from August 2014 to May 2026. Now, the county has rolled his job description into the newly created and larger role of emergency management coordinator.
In both roles, a large part of Schroeder’s job is creating emergency plans for companies using hazardous chemicals. He emphasized that the outdoor warning sirens aren’t just for tornadoes, but any and all outdoor hazards, from hail to chemical spills and gas clouds.
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“We want them to go inside and check out the news to see what's going on,” Schroeder said. “It's not for waking you up at 2:30 in the morning inside your house, they're meant for people who are outside.”
The upgrade is solely in the software being used, not the sirens themselves. Local jurisdictions are responsible for purchasing and maintaining their own outdoor warning sirens, not the county.
As a result, some townships have opted not to have any, including Polkton, Tallmadge, Jamestown and Wright townships. Others have invested more heavily in them, including the City of Holland, Zeeland and Zeeland Township, Hudsonville, Georgetown Township, Coopersville, Blendon Township, Port Sheldon Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Township, Ferrysburg, Grand Haven and most of Grand Haven Township.
More recent investments include Park Township’s approval of seven new sirens last year, and Schroeder said Holland Township is also installing new sirens.
“There's more and more sirens being installed often within Ottawa County, but the county does not pay for those,” Schroeder said.
Learn more about Ottawa County's Emergency Management plans at miOttawa.org/Sheriff/em.
— Lee Marentette is a contributing writer to the Ottawa News Network. Contact him at newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
