St. Louis, MO – The City of St. Louis officially retired its decades-old manual outdoor warning siren activation process this summer, completing a long-awaited modernization aimed at improving emergency response times.
According to the St. Louis Fire Department, Mayor Cara Spencer issued Executive Order 83 on May 20, 2025, granting the department full authority and oversight of the City’s Outdoor Warning Siren System. Less than a month later, on June 18, 2025, the legacy “press a button” manual activation system was decommissioned.
The upgraded system is now fully automated, designed to activate faster and more reliably during severe weather or other emergencies. Fire officials said a manual backup remains available to ensure redundancy and resilience if the automated network ever fails.
The move streamlines coordination between emergency services and weather authorities — a critical step as the region prepares for winter storms and potential severe weather events later this year.
Residents are encouraged to ensure they have multiple ways to receive alerts, including weather radios and mobile notifications, as part of the city’s layered public safety strategy.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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