Chuck's Chat - Welcome to May 2026!

Thank you to those who reached out to my wife and me following the aftermath of the recent tornados which crossed the north end of Montgomery County. I can happily report that here along the Northern Sycamore Urban Boundary we fared quite well in comparison to some of our suburban neighbors. While we did incur a substantial degree of dissected deciduous debris, we were able to reduce it to smaller, more manageable particle sizes for transportation to our organic material depository at the farm.

We are all extremely fortunate only one entrapment and injury was reported. Please keep that individual and the numerous residents that sustained property damage in your thoughts.

While post emergency services were on site quickly and resources coordinated and dispersed effectively, I do have a great concern for the response PRIOR to the catastrophic event.

The unincorporated collection of homes, small businesses and more importantly, humans, who call Sycamore home deserve to know the truth as to why the emergency warning siren was not activated to provide awareness of the impending and rapidly approaching dangerous storm. After I discussed this with two Independence city officials, I was assured the siren would be tested Wednesday April 28 at noon (it used to always be tested at noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays). By the way, the siren is activated by the City of Independence Police Dispatch, as per a rule mandated some time ago. According to a prominent member of the Sycamore Volunteer Fire Department who was physically present in the firebarn on Wednesday at noon, the test of the siren did not work, nor was there any indication of the radio frequency signal reaching the relay circuit board in the building. Research by the person activating the switch indicated there has been an issue with the siren since February.

The City of Independence recently posted on their Facebook page “Outdoor warning sirens are meant to alert people who are OUTSIDE. If you’re indoors or asleep, you may not hear.” In addition, posted was a QR code with information on how to receive “FREE emergency alerts straight to your phone through our Regroup system!” I don’t need a QR code for assistance, I need an audible siren loud enough to be heard for miles, like we used to have and could rely upon. By the way, Sycamore is the only small Montgomery County community left with a siren, thanks to the efforts of our volunteer fire department’s forethought and genuine concern for a way to alert its citizens of eminent danger (assuming it works).

I’m not pointing fingers, I’m not assessing blame, and I don’t care who is at fault. If I ruffle some feathers, perhaps it was needed. But the roughly 7,500 humans living in the rural communities of this county deserve better. Montgomery County and the City of Independence, you can do better.

Until next month,

Chuck Voelker

Self-appointed representative

Greater Sycamore Valley Chamber of Commerce