The commissioner of the St. Louis City Emergency Management Agency, Sarah Russell, has been placed on paid administrative leave after failing to sound the warning siren during the tornadoes last Friday that killed five people.

The city learned of possible tornadoes Friday afternoon, but the city's emergency officials didn't push the button to sound outdoor warning sirens because they were out of the office at a workshop.

The directive to activate the sirens was ambiguous, which cannot happen when a tornado is sweeping through our City and St. Louisans’ safety depends on being alerted