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- Outdoor Warning System
As printed in Cincinnati.com
Weather official hears siren controversy, backs radios
CAMPBELL COUNTY - When it comes to outdoor warning sirens, some residents think they're too loud. Others complain they can't hear them at all.
Campbell County's Office of Emergency Management takes calls from residents who fall under both of these categories, according to Director William Turner. No matter what side of the argument residents take, however, he warns the real problem is relying too heavily on the sirens to alert those indoors of severe weather and other emergencies.
"Outdoor warning sirens are intended to be heard by people who are outdoors - not indoors, as many people believe," said Turner. "The fact that some residents can hear them indoors is just an added benefit."
Relying on the sirens to alert those indoors of severe weather and other emergencies is dangerous, he said, but the answer to the problem is simple: purchasing a weather radio.
"Like smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, they're an easy way to help protect our families," Turner said.
A tone-alert weather radio is one of the fastest and most reliable means of obtaining weather information, he said. It provides continuous broadcasts of the latest weather information directly from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wilmington, Ohio. The tone-alert feature could become a life saver during severe weather because forecasters can activate the receivers, which alerts families in their homes, he said.
The receiver sounds an alarm indicating that an emergency exists and broadcasts a warning message. The radios also feature a battery backup, so they can operate during power outages. They're relatively inexpensive, Turner said, and some can be purchased for less than $30 at a variety of electronics stores.
Radios with Specific Area Messaging Encoding (SAME) technology allow residents to enter in their respective county or city, and it will then alert them only of weather and other emergencies for the area or areas programmed.
The National Weather Service sends Emergency Alert System messages from digital consoles, which are broadcast on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio network.
SAME technology is good news for residents who don't want to be bothered with alerts from other areas, said Mark Ihrig, director of Boone County's emergency management department.
"This technology takes away the concern that if you have a weather radio, you'll be constantly getting alerts from other areas," Ihrig said. "It allows you to get alerts for the specific area where you live."
Residents in Grant County will be receiving free weather radios later this month through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant. Grant County, the city of Williamstown and Pendleton County each received about $215,000 through the grant, according to Grant County Judge-executive Darrell Link.
Grant County is using half of its funds to purchase weather radios for each household in the county and the other half for additional outdoor warning sirens. Pendleton County and Williamstown are purchasing back-up generators with the funds, he said.
Through Census and PVA records, Link said the county estimated there are about 10,800 households in Grant County. Residents can pick up a free weather radio July 17-18 at the county's fire department sites in Corinth, Crittenden, Dry Ridge, Jonesville and Williamstown. For details, call Link's office at 859-823-7561.
"Congressman Geoff Davis obtained this grant, and we appreciate it so much," said Link. "This has allowed us to put weather radios right in (residents') homes, so they can get important information directly."
For more information about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service, visit www.nws.noaa.gov, which has links to National Weather Service Forecast offices and centers across the nation.
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