Efforts to install tornado warning sirens in Brookhaven are moving forward again, with the city accepting bids through April 12 for siren installation.

Once the bids have been reviewed, city leaders will have the opportunity to select a winning contractor and begin installation work.

“I imagine we’ll accept a bid and get the ball rolling pretty quickly,” said Mayor Les Bumgarner.

All submitted bids will be opened 2 p.m. April 12.

This will be the second time siren bids have been taken by the city. Last falls, bids were collected but city leaders rejected all of them on the recommendation of local Civil Defense Director Clifford Galey.

At the time, participating bidders submitted proposals for electronic sirens though the city had limited its request to traditional mechanical sirens.

This time around, Galey is accepting bids for traditional and electronic sirens.

“The bid packet allows both to be bid,” Galey said. “When we get it in we’ll evaluate and see what the best options are.”

Galey said he’s not sure whether electronic sirens tend to run cheaper than traditional sirens.

Monticello, in neighboring Lawrence County, has electronic weather alert sirens. Mayor Dave Nichols has indicated he’s been pleased with those sirens.

As of Thursday, no bids had yet been received by the city clerk’s office, though more than a month remains for proposals.

Current plans by city leaders propose using a FEMA grant to install five sirens within the city. The FEMA grant will cover 95 percent of project costs, leaving the city to supply the remaining 5 percent of funds. The grant was approved for up to $117,600.

The grant was awarded last June.

At Tuesday’s city board meeting, Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron discussed a recent tornado that caused devastation throughout Hattiesburg while bemoaning Brookhaven’s continued lack of alert sirens.

“It seems we should have gotten this done by now,” Cameron said. “The citizens of Brookhaven deserve an answer on this.”

Speaking Thursday morning, Galey acknowledged the delays but said forward progress is ongoing.

“I know this is taking a while, but we’re working on it,” Galey said.

Bumgarner’s mayoral term ends in June and he’s not seeking re-election. He hopes to see the sirens come to Brookhaven while he’s in office.

“That’s one of my goals to get that done before I leave,” Bumgarner said. “That’s a major goal.