Hinds County Welcomes Federal Signal's CEO William Osborne

HINDS COUNTY, Miss. and UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Federal Signal's Chief Executive Officer, William Osborne and General Manager, John Von Thaden, join Hinds County representatives on June 1, the official start date of the Atlantic hurricane season, for the implementation of Hinds County's new safety and security system.

Key officials from Hinds County, Federal Signal, MEMA, FEMA, City of Jackson and Red Cross representatives and others are expected to arrive at the site of one of the oldest installed sirens at the corner of Harris and Vine Streets in Jackson, MS to commemorate a "changing of the guard" on June 1, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. central/standard time. Next to the current Federal Signal Thunderbolt series warning siren now stands a new Federal Signal Modulator series high-tech Omni-Directional Electronic Siren.

The Thunderbolt siren series has taken Hinds County through Hurricane Camille and Katrina, the 1979 Easter Flood and, most, recently, the April 4, 2008 tornadoes. However, the system has been in place for over fifty years and was in need of replacement. Therefore, Hinds County officials began the search in 2008 for alert systems that could effectively meet the public safety needs of its citizens and be progressive in providing the latest cutting-edge technology.

"Whenever you have a mechanical piece of equipment such as a siren, that has stood the test of time like the Federal Signal Thunderbolt siren, it speaks for itself," states Supervisor Robert Graham of Hinds County.

Standing tall in Hinds County is a series of Modulator sirens.  The Modulator siren series will allow Hinds County to directly communicate with its citizens in emergency situations.  These high-powered electronic speaker arrays provide the highest level of clarity in an outdoor warning system. Public safety officials are able to alert and notify immediate instructions to the public in the event of an 'all hazard' emergency.

"We are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Hinds County. Many of the Federal Signal Thunderbolt sirens are over 30 years old and still in operation," states William Osborne, CEO of Federal Signal. "The County is replacing their current system with the most advanced public warning and notification systems available today."

Since the initiation of this project, to date, Hinds County has replaced ten (10) sirens and is currently replacing nineteen (19) more.  In addition, on Friday, May 28, 2010, the County will order and additional twenty-one (21) sirens.  Seven (7) more sirens are pending approval through FEMA.  Upon project completion, a total of 57 sirens will be in place in the Hinds County Emergency Alert and Notification System.

About Federal Signal

Federal Signal Corporation (NYSE: FSS) enhances the safety, security and well-being of communities and workplaces around the world. Founded in 1901, Federal Signal is a leading global designer and manufacturer of products and total solutions that serve municipal, governmental, industrial and institutional customers. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., with manufacturing facilities worldwide, the Company operates three groups: Safety and Security Systems, Environmental Solutions and Fire Rescue. For more information on Federal Signal, visit: http://www.federalsignal.com.

SOURCE Federal Signal Corporation