Representatives from the Town of Lyerly met with representatives of Sirens For Cities recently to discuss an upgraded warning system for the town.

Robert Thompson told the council in its regular meeting on Tuesday that said it was discussed that the town put in a tornado siren that goes off in Chattooga County, it will set set the sirens off automatically in the county's four municipalities. The sirens will go off as soon as it gets an alert from the National Weather Service in Peachtree City that there is a tornado warning. It will also go off if there is a warning received for Cherokee or Dekalb counties.

The system will also warn area residents through text messages and Twitter.

In all, Thompson said, the system would cost $19,500. But, as he understand it, Trion will pay the initial cost for the system and have it put into operation. Then, Summerville, Menlo and Lyerly will pay Trion, in a four-way split. Lyerly would have to pay an additional $1,997 because the town has  a one-channel radio system, as opposed to the other counties.

Thompson said, Sirens For Cities will buy Lyerly's radio system for $300-$500 and Lyerly will then by a two-channel radio system.

Once the siren warning system is purchased, there will be no other costs or fees, according to Thompson. All alerts will come straight from the National Weather Service with no delays. Currently, Lyerly's warning system is activated by E-911 personnel or the Lyerly Fire Department. If there is a power outage the new system will still be able to activated by the Fire Department.

Only three counties in the state have the new system, according to  Thompson, In all, it will cost Lyerly a total of $6,500.