Manitou Springs unveils new alert system

The recent Waldo Canyon wildfire motivated leaders in Manitou Springs to replace their broken alert siren with a better version for similar emergencies in the future.

On Friday, the town unveiled its new siren outside the town hall. A $25,000 state grant paid for the project.

The siren can emit a tone or a spoken message.

Police Chief Joe Riberio said the system will make the town better prepared for wildfires, floods and other disasters.

“Because of the (Waldo) burn scar and the propensity of a flash flood to occur because of the burn scar, the likelihood we’ll have that will increase,” he said.

Riberio said officials will determine how effective the siren is and expand the system if necessary.

Riberio also said if a flood, fire or other dangerous situation exists, residents shouldn’t wait to hear the siren. They should take action and get to safety on their own.