Audible Warning System Q & A
What is the Audible Warning System?
The City of Seattle is committed to making Seattle the most-prepared city
for disasters, and continues to strengthen is preparedness capabilities. The
Audible Warning System complements other systems that the City first responders
have to notify the public about hazards, such as the Community Notification
System, the Emergency Alert System, as well as the announcement capability
that police and fire personnel have from their vehicles.
The Audible Warning System is a way to broadcast public safety messages to
notify large gatherings of people outdoors of any life-threatening hazard
that can affect their safety. The system is targeted to reach crowds that
regularly congregate at Cruise Ship Terminal 30, Colman Dock and Myrtle Edwards
Park on the Seattle waterfront.
What kinds of emergencies is the system designed to warn against?
The Audible Warning System is an all-hazards system that can be used to warn
the public of any life-threatening hazard that can affect their safety. This
may include any number of types of hazards, such as a gas leak, fire, earthquake,
radiation, tsunami, bomb, chemical hazard, biological agent, radiological
hazard and others.
How does the system work?
Should a life-threatening hazard be detected by first responders, they would
notify the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) about the need to
utilize the Audible Warning System. The system in activated from the EOC.
Before a message is broadcast, strobe lights would activate from the towers
and an audible tone to get peoples’ attention would be followed by a
succinct verbal message that will give specific instructions on immediate
actions people should take related to the specific hazard.
To reach everyone who may be affected, there could be other systems such
as the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the City’s Community Notification
System used in conjunction with the Audible Warning System to gain total coverage
people outdoors, indoors and in vehicles.
Who determines when the system is used and activates the system?
The system will be activated whenever a life-threatening hazard is detected
by first responders and it is determined that people in the surrounding area
need to be notified in order to protect their safety.
First responders then notify the City’s EOC about the need to utilize
the Audible Warning System. The system is then activated from the EOC, where
it is monitored by Seattle Police Department and Emergency Management staff
housed in the City’s EOC.
At the EOC, Emergency Management staff can assess the situation, gather the
best information from all City departments and choose appropriate messages
to be either broadcast using the Audible Warning System or using a combination
of systems.
Regular tests of the system will be done silently and audibly to ensure that
the system is functioning.
Where did the money come from to pay for this system?
Financial resources to fund the Audible Warning System came from three sources.
- The majority of the money ($179,000.00) was from an Urban Area Security
Initiative grant from the Department of Homeland Security.
- The second source ($90,000.00) was from a National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration tsunami grant via the Washington State Emergency Management
Division.
- Another $6,000.00 was provided by the Washington State Emergency Management
Division to pay for portions of the system at Fire Station 5.
What should people expect to hear during an emergency?
A loud tone followed by a voice message giving instructions.
Where are the locations of the Audible Warning System towers?
Cruise Ship Terminal 30, Fire Station 5, and Myrtle Edwards Park.
Why were the locations chosen for the three sites?
These three sites were chosen due to the large number of people who congregate
outside on a regular basis and the variety of hazards that could occur along
Seattle’s waterfront.
Are there plans to install more Audible Warning Systems throughout the city?
The funding for the Audible Warning System initially covered enough for the
installation at three sites. The system is designed to be easily expanded
as money becomes available to cover other critical areas.
Depending on the funding, Phase II of the system would examine choosing additional
locations for the system where large groups of people gather outside. Phase
II would also include adding activation equipment at the 911 Call Center and
Fire Alarm Center to enable them to make announcements from their locations.
Are there other ways the city is looking to use new technologies for emergency
management?
We are always exploring new technologies to help make Seattle the most-prepared
city in America.
Currently we use a variety of communications tools, such as phones, cellular
phones, blackberry devices, 800mHz radio, 450 mHz radio, ham radio, email,
web-based systems, the Emergency Alert System, Community Notification System,
and the new Audible Warning System.
All police vehicles and fire engines and trucks are equipped with on-board
computers.
In addition, the EOC is introducing a new earthquake warning system called
Shakecast / Shakemap that can tell us specific areas of the city that have
received the strongest ground shaking and thereby indicate where the most
severe damage exists.
A related modeling tool (HAZUS) that can predict the extent of damage from
any destructive threat is under development and should be ready when the new
EOC opens in 2007.
The City is also planning to install state-of-the-art multi-media technology
in the new EOC to help collect and analyze critical information in order to
respond to the public’s needs immediately. This new technology will
also help us communicate easily with King County, the State of Washington
and the federal government during an emergency.
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