Warwick County EMA and schools add outdoor sirens, distribute stop‑the‑bleed kits
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Summary
Warwick County Emergency Management Agency described new school safety measures — outdoor weather sirens at two school sites and more than 1,000 stop‑the‑bleed kits with training — highlighting a tornado response last year and a continuing partnership with the school corporation.
Matt, a representative of the Warwick County Emergency Management Agency, told the Warwick County School Board that the agency and the Warwick County School Corporation are expanding emergency preparedness at school sites with two outdoor weather sirens and a countywide distribution of stop‑the‑bleed kits. "Their quick response was nothing short of amazing," Matt said of the school corporation's role in sheltering residents after an EF‑1 tornado on July 30, 2024.
The agency plans to site outdoor sirens at the Warwick County Pathways and Career Center and at Tecumseh High School to improve alerting for nearby industrial and recreational areas. The county also has partnered with the Warwick County Health Department to assemble and distribute more than 1,000 stop‑the‑bleed kits — described as one kit per classroom across the district — and to provide countywide training with Booneville Fire Department.
Why it matters: school buildings frequently serve as emergency shelters and central coordination points during severe weather; sirens and bleeding control kits are immediate, on‑site tools intended to increase response time and first‑aid capability while other emergency services respond. Matt framed the measures as part of a sustained partnership rather than a one‑time effort, and he invited the board to an event at WPCC where students will help assemble the kits.
Details provided at the meeting included the tornado sheltering role played by the school corporation in 2024, the two named siren locations, the assembled kit count (more than 1,000), and a planned training and volunteer assembly event at WPCC at 1 p.m. on the coming Thursday. Dr. Walter Lambert, who oversees student safety, acknowledged his coordination with Matt on projects and thanked EMA staff for the collaboration.
The presentation included no formal board action; board members thanked agency staff and school administrators for coordinating the initiative. The planned WPCC assembly and the countywide training offer opportunities for public observation and further school‑level planning.