The next time a tornado, flood or fire threatens Natrona County, you'll probably hear about it everywhere.

Literally, everywhere.

The Natrona County Emergency Management office hopes to install 36 outdoor warning sirens by spring to cover every residential portion of Natrona County.

Solar operated, the towers look like telephone poles with large, cylindrical heads. They function without moving parts, which Theresa Simpson, the Emergency Management deputy coordinator, said means they should survive harsh weather or circumstance.

By the end of the week, the county had 15 operational sirens capable of warning those within earshot.

Officials test each siren after installation and again once a month, checking to make absolutely sure each will work if and when an emergency strikes.

The towers can be operated by workers in the county dispatch office as well as those with the control boxes in their cars.

Officers can control the towers individually for a localized emergency such as a hazardous waste spill or a small fire. The sirens can also function as a group if there's an emergency threatening the entire county such as a severe storm.

Natrona County Emergency Management Coordinator Stewart Anderson said his office has been trying to bring the sirens into the county for more than 20 years. Each attempt failed because of lack of funding.

The final total was roughly $500,000 and funded by county optional one-percent sales tax revenue as well as general optional one-percent sales tax funds.

Each siren can announce prerecorded voices that will warn of possible disasters, such as tornados. The sirens can also broadcast live.

Simpson said this would have been useful for the Jackson Canyon Fire when it took emergency officials about 1.5 days to evacuate more than 1,200 addresses.

The Casper City Council will vote to allow five of the sirens on city-owned land in an upcoming meeting.

In the mean time, if you hear the siren, make sure you listen to know if it's only a test.

During the one of the recent test runs in Mills the siren announced a tornado warning. Simpson said dispatch workers fielded several calls from residents wondering where they needed to seek shelter.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com