Tsunami Warning Sirens have been installed in parts of Omaha, Point Wells and Whangateau. At 12pm (midday) on Sunday the 25th of October 2009, a TEST of the Tsunami Sirens will take place at these locations.
The purpose of this test is to ensure that:
- The sirens are operational and can be activated from the Emergency operations Centre located in Orewa.
- Residents are familiar with the three different tones of the siren in the event of a Tsunami threat.
The sirens will be activated in test mode periodically between 12pm and 12.30pm on Sunday 25th October 2009. During the test residents will hear three different tones each tone signals a specific action that should be taken.
For the purpose of the test each tone will sound for only 40 seconds.
A letter will be sent to local residents which will provide further information on the Tsunami Warning siren system prior to the test.
The Council’s Emergency Services Team Leader Scott Marchant says that the exercise is an opportunity for residents to learn to recognise what the different sirens sound like. He says residents should remain calm during the exercise as there is no cause for alarm.
Tsunami Warning System - What to Expect in a Real Emergency
The following signals will be used during an actual Tsunami threat.
The ALERT SIGNAL ( dash – dash – dot – dot ) sounded for 15 minutes
This signal is used to notify residents that a Tsunami threat has been received by Rodney Civil Defence. Residents should respond to hearing this signal by:
The EVACUATE SIGNAL (dot-dot-dot) sounded in continuous burst for 15 minutes
This signal is used when a specific threat to Rodney’s coastline has been confirmed. Residents should respond to this signal by:
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Evacuating immediately to the nearest high ground
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Avoiding using personal transport (e.g. cars) unless absolutely essential, as this may cause congestion
The ALL CLEAR signal ( a continuous tone for 5 minutes)
This signal is used to notify that the threat of a Tsunami has passed. Residents response to hearing this signal should be to:
As the exercise being conducted on Sunday 25th October is a test exercise only, each of the tones will sound for 40 seconds only.