For nearly 50 years, Oakland County residents have been able to count on an early warning system for tornadoes headed to the area.

With the foresight of then-Oakland County Executive Dan Murphy and a united Board of Commissioners, the sirens were approved by Oakland County in the mid-1970s, marking the start of the installation of what would become one of the largest warning systems in the country.

We’ve got 276 sirens now in every corner of the county and it’s just one of the ways we let people know of impending weather danger. With the increasing frequency of violent weather incidents, these systems are even more important tool for our residents.

Communities and the county share the cost of installing the sirens and the county maintains the system at an annual cost of about $100,000. It’s never been a question at budget time that this is money well spent to keep our residents safer.

These sirens are intended to alert people who are outside – on the golf course or baseball field, working in their yards or enjoying a picnic – to take shelter immediately. Rest assured, this is a system that is NOT going away.

We also have tools that will alert you when you’re inside and may not see the approaching dark clouds or other natural disasters. Our OakAlert system delivers texts, emails and phone calls to people who sign up for the service, including warnings on everything from a chemical spill to weather emergencies, road closures or an active shooter alert.

You’ll receive monthly tests – texts, calls and emails – to make sure the system is functioning and to remind you what it will look and sound like if a real emergency is on the horizon.

I get it. With all the spam texts, emails and calls we receive, another one might be annoying. But these are potentially life-saving alerts that can help keep you and your family safe.

If you haven’t already, there’s no better time – during National Preparedness month – to go to oakgov.com/community/emergency-management/oakalert and sign up for this vital tool that will get you accurate information even before it shows up on your social media feeds. We’ve made some upgrades to the system that are just coming online and are worth checking out.

And for even more tips on how to make a plan for you and your family in case of an emergency, go to ready.gov/september.