Thursday night was busy for severe weather, which means it was busy for Lyon County’s emergency dispatchers.
Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says dispatchers got a lot of calls, including many that should have been directed elsewhere or should not have been asked at all — for example, the availability of public shelters.
Certain mobile home complexes have shelters, but those are for residents of those communities and not the general public. The Kansas Turnpike has shelters at its Emporia and Admire exits.
Separately, after many Lyon County communities had their warning sirens activated during the storms, Fell said each community has its own siren system with different timers and the Emergency Communications Center has to reset those timers at different times during severe weather.
All in all, Fell encouraged residents to keep in mind the duties of Lyon County’s emergency dispatchers during severe weather.
