The Excelsior Springs Fire Department will now be able to fund emergency preparedness operations thanks to an annual funding allowance from the Excelsior Springs Capital Improvement Board. The board also agreed to replenish the city’s building maintenance fund. Fire Chief Joe Maddick asked for $10,000 to be set aside to establish a funding source to improve and repair emergency management equipment, particularly outdoor sirens. He explained the outdoor sirens haven’t been working correctly, and both Blue Valley and Motorola radio companies are coming out to fix the sirens with no outlook on the total repair cost. “Each battery is $150,” Maddick said. “They need to be replaced at maximum every five years but optimally every three years.” The total cost of replacement for the batteries totals $720 per siren, with seven sirens in the city. When Blue Valley replaces the batteries, Maddick explained, it costs $1720 per siren with the addition of maintenance, labor and mileage costs…