Courtesy Photo­Image

Four years of work ended with an “all clear” sound Wednesday for new emergency warning sirens at Lake Maloney.

You've got a facebook Request! CLICK HERE!

A final, brief test was conducted at 11:30 a.m. and everything was okay, Lincoln County Emergency Manager Dan Guenthner said.

It was the final test of the new sirens, which replace the seven or so old sirens scattered around the lake. The old sirens were removed from police cars and installed 30 years ago or longer.

One new siren is near South Beach, another is near Lake Maloney State Park at the outlet and a retrofitted siren is near the west end of the golf course, after the existing siren near the golf course was rebuilt and moved.

These, combined with an existing siren on Buffalo Bill Avenue just below the dam, offer complete coverage around the lake. Each siren will be audible for a radius of nearly a mile and a half, Guenthner said.

The city’s warning sirens in North Platte are also connected to the new lake sirens, so if there is a lake emergency, the city will also be alerted.

Officials worked for several years, especially since 2008, to obtain funds and decide where to put the sirens. The total cost is $63,275, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid 75 percent. The Lake Maloney Property Owners Association contributed 25 percent, thanks to a fund raising drive as well as money in the association treasury, Guenthner said.