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"Lets prove that the sirens in Silver City are excessive and unnecessarily over unused." And soon their were 4 people recording the time, day and place that each of them heard a siren. After the nearly 1 year process the final report was released Thursday evening at the Green Chamber Meeting.

The study found that residents can expect to hear sirens an average of eight a day (maximum 21, minimum 1) and that most (65%) are responses to "medical emergencies or other life or property threatening events" and further states that "We could find no evidence of sirens simply being run without a direct cause of an emergency situation".

From the report:

"Final Results
The data analysis unambiguously shows that virtually all of the sirens that we hear in Silver City have clearly valid and reasonable causes that relate to some form of emergency. Our data showed that 65% of the siren events had medical causes; 14% were calls for police action due to some threat to life or property; 11% were related motor vehicle accidents; 7% were related to domestic trouble; 3% were fire alarms. Only 2 siren events could not be matched to a Central Dispatch log. That small number could be due to error in logging, or could be any entity running a siren without having gone through Central Dispatch."

The four residents conducting the 83 day count were Kelly Hart, coordinator; Rachelle Bergmann, Statistics; with Candace Breen Lee, and another who wishes to remain anonymous and who, I'm told, may disavow the results. The group was advised and assisted by Councilwoman Lynda Aiman-Smith, Assistant Town Manager James Marshall, SCPD Chief Reynolds on rules and regulations for siren use and Central Dispatch who looked up the reason for each of the 652 instances.

Download the summary and conclusions of the study:

With State Police in two locations; Forest Service law enforcement; Silver City; Bayard; Hurley; Sheriff ... that sure piles up to a lot of siren calls for this area. The linearity of the city-Mining District ... might have an effect.So much moves along 180 E as cars respond to trouble. 180 W is another. as is NM 90. The conduits of Silver City, proximity of jail, and any overage of prisoners being taken to Grant County Jail seems to me to add the sense that the various cop agencies are around, often on response, a LOT. Same for fire engines, ambulances. I'm grateful for those who took the time to monitor these events. I sometimes feel like I'm in LA or something.