PEA RIDGE — A few minutes before 7 p.m. Friday, sirens wailed through the air in Pea Ridge as a tornado was passing through western Benton County, headed east.
When the tornado warning went out, the doors of the tornado safe room at Pea Ridge High School opened to the public for the first time.
“We were advised through (Benton County Central Communications) that the tornado sirens were set off in Pea Ridge,” Pea Ridge Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said. “The new school-built safe room is connected to the storm sirens;
when they are sounded it automatically unlocks the doors.”
The three sirens in town - located at the Emergency Services building, the water tower behind The Times office and at the fire station on Arkansas Highway 94 North - were set off from the fire station. Pea RIdge Fire Department Chief Frank Rizzio said the department is currently working with CenCom to implement a system that allows dispatchers in the Bentonville office to set off the sirens.
“The new school-built safe room is connected to the storm sirens; when they are sounded it automatically unlocks the doors.”
Tim Ledbetter
Pea Ridge Police Chief
The rain was relentless as members of the community arrived in cars and on foot. The sky was blackening and the winds were just starting to howl, but the scene remained calm. Some people arrived carrying guitars and music soon filled the room.
The safe room was constructed to hold 800 people.
Ledbetter said that in the event of a tornado, if at all possible, a uniformed police officer will be in the area of the building. He advised residents to stay inside the safe room for their own safety, until the officers have been notified of an all clear from CenCom.
Pea Ridge Police officer Cpl. Rick Helmer, off-duty officers Chris Olson and Sgt. Ryan Walker and Pea Ridge firefighters Brian Johnson and Josh King were on scene to help with crowd control.
“It’s important that people understand to stay in the building when the doors are closed,” Walker said, referring to the south doors of the structure.
Walker, along with Pea Ridge director of maintenance James Reeves, secured the south doors because the storm was traveling from that direction.
Helmer and Olson were stationed at the north doors to assist residents entering the building.
Rizzio said the fire department and school officials are working to improve the safe room’s operation.
“I’d like to have a first aid kit mounted on the wall available for whoever to use, and also an EMS bag and oxygen tank in the mechanical room for access of medical responders,” Rizzio said.
King made a run to the fire station to get an EMS bag so it would be available in case of emergency inside the shelter.
Mayor Jackie Crabtree expressed his appreciation to the school for sharing the storm shelter with the community.
“Everything went really smooth,” he said. “There are some things we’re going to have to sit down and go over, for instance what to do with pets. I’m very thankful that nothing hit us.”
Pea Ridge Primary School principal Keith Martin said: “It did what it was designed to do. This is a great thing for the community, and everyone should be excited about it.”
School, Pages 6 on 04/27/2011