🚀 go-pugleaf

Bill Lefler (wo0e@sky.net) in article ve <4km2s0$q74@alpha.sky.net> on 12 Apr 1996 17:11:28 GMT wrote:

: 	My question is simply this: Have the outdoor warning sirens out 
: lived their usefullness? I have been at the EOC when the sirens have been 
: blown, and the first thing that takes place is EVERY phone line lights 
: up, and the question asked over and over is "How come the sirens are 
: blowing?". So, It would seem people are not yet utilizing the many other 
: methods of receiving weather warnings. Thus, it would seem to me there is 
Yup. A lot of people don't spend all day with the TV or radio one like me.
In addition, here in metro New York City, only about 20% of the radio 
stations are emergency stations. (I'm sure the others would scream "We're 
all gonna die!!" if there was a big emergency thought :)

: the old remains in place? Should we just move the responsiblities of 
: warning the public away from the local EM office and shift it to the 
: media and other sources? I have mixed feelings about this. I do see a 
Not completely though. Until the day when everyone is carrying a personal 
commincator, I think sirens are still needed.
: place for warning sirens in and around large public areas (large parks, 
: shopping districts, schools, etc) however, I think it is time to reduce 
: the numbers in the residential areas. The time when local municipalities 
: can afford to maintain a fleet of warning sirens is rapidly fading. Tax 
I think they NEED to afford it. As I said, even in residental areas (not 
there is such a thing as just residental areas these days), not everyone 
is listing to a station that would carry important info. 

: payers simply don't see the need to spend money on this type of expense 
: (untill the tornado comes down *THEIR* street!). 
I think, at least here, they feel we need MORE. Our warning sirens are 
for a nuclear power plant in the next county (my house is 9 miles away 
from it, the warning area is 10 miles)
I know there are some real critics of our evacuation plans, which 
include, to a big part, our sirens. You can often tell when a siren is a 
false alarm because in most of the warning area, you can hear multiple 
sirens. People will put on the radio if they think it is a real 
emergency. Anyway, a tornado needs immediate attention, while a NPP 
disaster usually gives a fair amount of warning.

-- 
Matthew Delaney  N2MDB    delaney@j51.com   ax.25: n2mdb@k2sk.#eny.ny.usa.na
Technical Engineer - @North.    Head IMP - Quasar MUD (delaney.j51.com:4000)
Personal - http://www.j51.com/~delaney    @North Group - http://www.chsn.org
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