The administration has said publicly that sirens could lessen public readiness. People would get too used to them. Where I grew up, sirens were tested at noon each Saturday. We expected it and were smarter than the average rock to still pay attention when the weather threatened. And when the Oklahoma City area tornado struck two months ago, many residents used the sirens as their last warning to take cover.
Federal funds are available to help communities meet the cost of sirens.
The funds are limited. As for Nashville, Pickering said the agency understands that Music City doesn't want sirens. That's very strange, since the council has twice voted that the city does. That bottom line did not consider federal help. Harrison's last resolution called for sirens only in the Urban Services District, the more densely populated area of the county.