Girl Scout raises money for first tornado siren in Green Township
HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — A rural Indiana community is safer thanks to the efforts of one young woman.
Girl Scout Katie Floyd raised enough money to buy a tornado siren for the volunteer fire department and her community.
The dedication of the siren took place Tuesday afternoon in Green Township, which is north of Greenfield on State Road 9.
The tornado siren installed is the first and only in all of Green Township.
A siren sound could save lives, if a tornado ever nears the rural community of Green Township.
“This is a huge boost to the safety of all of the residents,” Jennifer Titus, spokesperson for Green Township Fire Department said. “This is a void that we’ve had for many, many years.”
Tuesday crews from Federal Signal installed the township’s first siren, possible because of Girl Scout Katie Floyd.
“It is an amazing feeling being able to accomplish a project such as this especially over the span of two years,” Floyd said.
Her eyes were opened to the need for a siren back in 2012.
“Several tornadoes had gone through the city of Henryville and just devastated the area and it just broke my heart to see such devastation,” she said.
She started fundraising to get a siren in her home town and ended up in contact with Federal Signal Corporation out of Illinois.
“And I thought ‘wow, somebody doing such a good thing in our country’ and we said ‘yes, we’ll fund that and we’ll help her make that happen,’” Federal Signal Corporation Vice President Matt Brady said.
Floyd received a $10,000 grant from local company NineStar Connect and then the siren company took another $17,000 off the cost of the siren.
As a former Scout and Midwest native, Brady said he would do this again in a heartbeat.
“It’s a very moving thing that she did and we’re very proud of her,” he said.
As she prepares to leave for college next year, Floyd said she’s happy to know she’s leaving her home a safer place.
“I hope that this will inspire others and bring in an awareness that there is still an issue out there,” she said.
Before this, the nearest tornado siren was located 10 miles away in Greenfield.
This siren won’t reach all of Green Township, but firefighters said it will reach about two miles in each direction.
Katie Floyd said it’s a good start and she’d like to see more installed.