Last alert radios delivered

This story was published Sat, Aug 19, 2000

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - By now, all area residents should have an emergency tone alert radio sitting close to a window in their home.

Nearly all homes in the areas surrounding the Umatilla Chemical Depot have received the radios, said Mike Gerdes of Radio Services, the contractor installing the radios.

More than 12,000 of the radios have been doled out free to Umatilla and Morrow County residents.

The radios, valued at about $160 each, are part of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program's alert and notification system.

They are designed to augment CSEPP's other warning signals - sirens, highway reader boards and the Emergency Alert System - in warning residents if a chemical weapons spill occurs at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, said Bill Howard, of CSEPP.

But the radios only can help those who have them.

Gerdes said there will be ad campaigns to find people who have not received radios yet.

"We'll be trying to find those people who are new to the area, or moved into vacant houses that didn't have a radio," Gerdes said.

Gerdes said the crews even will bring radios to people who initially may have turned one down. "Now's the time if you want one to get it," he said.

Even with an extra sector thrown in at the last minute (from Punkin Center east to Hat Rock), crews finished delivering the radios well ahead of time.

When crews starting delivering the radios May 2, it was estimated complete distribution could take six to seven months.

"We had a great crew, and I think we have done extremely well," Gerdes said.

Once Gerdes' crew hands out the last radios, the remaining 2,000 or so radios will be turned over to the county.

Howard will be in charge of making sure those go to people building new houses or putting in manufactured homes.

Finding those people will require some work.

"Our plan at this time is to make good contacts with the power companies, utilities and building permitting places," Howard said.

"We want to be in touch with any place that someone has to sign up for new services at."

Also, fliers will be placed in city halls and at the Umatilla and Morrow County courthouses. Anyone who needs a radio can call 800-307-7708 to get one.

"We will maintain the phone number, and that will be in place forever," Howard said. "We will still deliver the radios."

 

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