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The City of
Moore, in conjunction with other governmental
and private partners, has established an alert
and warning system capable of disseminating
adequate and timely warning to the public in the
event of threatened disaster.
Our system provides multiple
warning paths, so that we:
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Do not have a
single point-of-failure (if one system does not
function, we have other means of warning
dissemination);
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Are able to reach
the greatest amount of persons possible.
Our alert and
warning system currently consists of the
following components:
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A network of
outdoor warning sirens,
strategically placed throughout the City;
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An interrupt for
the analog cable television
system;
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Emergency
programming on the
SmileAmerica Channel 20, the City's
local government cable channel;
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A partnership
with the National Weather Service, who activates
alert-equipped NOAA Weather
Radios during both weather-related and
civil emergencies;
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A partnership
with the local broadcast
media (radio and television stations),
who provide up-to-the second reporting of
emergency events, and also partner with the
Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency
Management to pass official Emergency Alert
System messages.
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Outdoor Warning Sirens
The City of Moore maintains and operates a
network of outdoor warning sirens,
designed to warn the public of impending
weather and other disaster conditions.
These sirens are mounted on poles
throughout the City, and are designed to
provide warning for those persons who are
outdoors, away from other types of warning
devices such as television and radio.
We completely replaced our
aging outdoor warning system during 2001
with 22 state of the art electronic
sirens. The sirens are |
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roughly spaced on 1-mile
centers, with deviations being made to
allow the best coverage possible along the
City's geographically-irregular
boundaries. Map
of the 2001 system. As a result of
community request, we are also currently
replacing the electronics packages and
relocating our 11 legacy sirens to allow
them to be used in conjunction with the
electronic units. We anticipate the first
six units being completed by June 15th,
with the remaining five scheduled for late
summer. |
The electronic
sirens are Federal Warning System model 5020
"Modulators". The sirens are all electronic, and
have no moving parts. Inside each "pod" are four
100-watt speakers, making for a total of 2000
watts of sound per siren (the bottom pod is a
sound-director and has no speakers). The sirens
are rated at 120 dBc, and can produce various
electronic tones and voice. Our sirens are
configured to produce:
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Steady
(traditional tornado signal)
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Wail (traditional
attack warning)
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Pulsed wail
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Alternating wail
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Westminister
Chime
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Public Address
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Six different
pre-recorded voice messages
The system is
radio controlled using a secure communications
protocol. We can activate the system from our
Emergency Operations Center, Fire Station #2, or
our Mobile Command Post. The sirens operate from
12-volt DC (battery) power, so commercial AC
power interruptions will not affect the
operation of the units.
The controller for the sirens is
a two-way communications system, which allows
the units to communicate their current status
back to the City's Emergency Operations Center.
This is a feature of tremendous value to our
City, as it allows our Emergency Management
Director immediate knowledge of a problem with a
unit. A typical report from a siren might look
like:
REPORT REQUESTED FROM SITE # 001
05/09/2001 14:00:00
Transmitting:
TRANSMISSION COMPLETE
05/09/2001 14:00:02
REMOTE SITE CONDITIONS
05/09/2001 14:00:05
Siren Type: MC5020T
Current Function: STANDBY
Last Function: WAIL
SITE # 001
CANCEL COUNTER 2
FUNCTION COUNTER 25
Amp 1 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 2 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 3 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 4 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 5 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 6 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 7 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 8 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 9 Passed Quiet Test
Amp 10 Passed Quiet Test
Audio A Has Sounded
Audio B Has Sounded
Activation Current Detected
Batter Voltage OK
Charger On
AC Power is Off
Cabinet Door is Closed
Local Activation Occurred
As noted above, the sirens do
have the ability to be "quiet tested". This is
basically a signal to the siren electronics to
do an internal self-test, checking most of the
items listed above. This test does not involve
the siren making audible sound. In the past,
tests were simply sounding the sirens, which we
did once per week, IF the weather was clear. Of
note, too, is that the only way we could
determine if each siren was functioning was to
physically monitor the test. It is quite an
undertaking to be in twelve distinct locations
throughout the City during a 3-minute
activation! Quiet testing allows us to test the
sirens every day (regardless of the weather),
monitor all of the sirens from one location, and
detect/correct problems much sooner than with
the legacy system.
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Cable Television Interrupt System
The City also has the ability to interrupt all
of the analog Cox Cable television channels
within the city limits of Moore. This interrupt
is activated via telephone, so we are not
limited to activation from any specific location
or by single piece of equipment (on our end).
When activation occurs, cable customers lose
video (replaced by "snow"), and hear a very loud
warbling alert tone for several seconds. Once
the tone finishes, we provide voice information
and instructions concerning the emergency. When
the interrupt is finished, normal television
resumes. It
should be noted that the interrupt system will
NOT override digital cable channels. Subscribers
to digital cable should have rely on a different
means of warning. Persons receiving television
via satellite dish, local antenna, or means
other than subscription to Cox Cable will not
receive interruption via the Moore cable
interrupt system.
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SmileAmerica Channel 20
Channel 20 on Cox Cable in Moore is the City's
local government channel, and normally provides
information on City services and activities, and
local events. However, during emergencies, cable
subscribers can turn to the SmileAmerica Channel
for programming direct from the City's Emergency
Operations Center.
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NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radio is a service provided by the
National Weather Service, free of
charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Routine
programming includes the latest weather
conditions, weather summaries for the vicinity
and surrounding areas, short term forecasts of
significant weather expected within the next 1-3
hours, and forecasts of temperatures and
precipitation out to 7 days. But one of the most
important reasons to own a weather radio is the
ability to receive up-to-the-minute information
on severe weather, such as severe thunderstorms,
large hail, strong and damaging winds,
tornadoes, and flash floods. Many weather radio
receivers are equipped with a tone alert which
will be activated the moment severe weather
threatens our immediate area. Weather radio
alerts may also be activated for other
non-weather civil emergencies.
Weather radios are probably the
BEST means of emergency warning for inside your
home, and can be purchased for around $50 at
Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, and most other department
and electronics stores. Be sure to look for the
models that have the "SAME" warning alert
feature.
SAME-equipped weather radios do require some
programming by the user as to the specific
counties that you want to receive warnings for.
Help in programming these radios can be obtained
at the Emergency Management office in City Hall
(please call 793-5062 prior to coming to ensure
someone is in the office). Programming codes
needed for the Moore area include:
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Transmitter
frequency: 162.400
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Oklahoma state
FIPS code: 40 (or 040)
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Cleveland County
FIPS code: 027
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McClain County
FIPS code: 087
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Oklahoma County
FIPS code: 109
Many weather
radios are equipped with output jacks for
devices operated by an external relay ("X10"),
so these radios can be used as warning devices
for those who are hearing or vision impaired.
More information on NOAA Weather
Radios can be found at the web page for the
local NWS office in Norman, or on the
National NOAA Weather Radio web page.
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Local Television and Radio / Emergency Alert
System
All of the local television stations and many of
the local radio stations work very hard to
provide accurate, up-to-the-second emergency
warning for weather and other disaster events.
All of the Oklahoma City commercial television
stations employ university-degreed
meteorologists, and most have "storm chasers"
who strive to seek out and report on severe
weather events throughout Oklahoma. A sampling
of these stations includes:
Most area
broadcasters voluntarily participate in the
Emergency Alert System. This is the modern-day
version of the old EBS, Emergency Broadcast
System (remember, "This is a test of the
Emergency Broadcast System..."?) Via this
system, emergency warning from official sources
are passed on. EAS messages in the Oklahoma City
area will typically be civil emergency related,
due to the tremendous coverage most broadcasters
give to weather events.
The EAS system is also one of the
outlets for
"Amber Plan" alerts. The Plan is an
early warning system available for use by law
enforcement to alert the public when a child has
been kidnapped and the police believe the child
is in danger. It is hoped that the early warning
distributed will coerce a kidnapper into
releasing a child, for fear of being caught.
Questions?
Please contact the City of Moore
Emergency Management Department should
you have questions or would like more
information on the emergency warning program of
the City. Our office is in City Hall at 301 N.
Broadway, and our office hours are
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. It's always wise to call
us at 793-5062 before coming though, as we are
on 24-hour call for emergency response, and we
also occasionally work in the field, attend
training, etc.
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