Two new sirens are being installed at Thurlow to further strengthen Alabama Power’s commitment to the safety of people who use the Tallapoosa River.　
In addition to the existing siren on the southside of the powerhouse, a directional siren will be added about a half-mile downstream, facing downstream. A third siren will be placed 1.8 miles downstream near the Tallassee boat ramp and facing upstream.　
“We’ve worked with the city of Tallassee to come up with the solution of adding sirens to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Joel Johnson, Thurlow Dam hydro plant superintendent. “That’s always our first priority.”　
Sirens are activated any time the company loads a generating unit or when any spillway gate operations are performed, Johnson said.　
“The sounding of the sirens informs people that we’re going to put additional flow downstream,” he added.　
A computer program will confirm that all three sirens are activated. If one of the sirens doesn’t operate properly, plant employees have a system to troubleshoot, isolate and repair any issues before moving forward with operations affecting the river downstream.
