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A recent donation by ConocoPhillips will help facilitate an outdoor warning siren project in Washington County, Okla.

The focus of the project – which is the result of an agreement between Washington County Emergency Management (WCEM) and the area communities of Dewey, Ramona, Vera, Copan and Ochelata – is to upgrade the siren system that warns residents of impending threats such as those posed by inclement weather. The upgrades will allow the county to monitor the health of the system and more easily activate it when necessary.

“ConocoPhillips is proud to support such an important project which is focused on keeping people safe,” said Karen Leinen, senior analyst, Bartlesville Programs for ConocoPhillips.

While the project was largely funded by a federal matching grant, Washington County was required to pay a portion of the cost. That portion was covered by the donation from ConocoPhillips. With the funding finalized, commissioners voted to advance the project from the planning to the implementation stage during a regular meeting on Nov. 14.

“With support from ConocoPhillips and the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, we will upgrade the control software and install necessary equipment to improve the two-way communications at 17 rural siren locations and one central control module location,” said Eric Ashlock, deputy director of WCEM.

“While many of our colleagues live in Bartlesville, we have plenty who reside in other locations such as some of the smaller communities within Washington County,” said Scott Sabine, Bartlesville Facilities manager for ConocoPhillips. “It’s important that we work with the county to help ensure residents have good emergency notification equipment which they can count on whenever they need to utilize it.”