Weather Service eyes tone alert radios as safety tool

This story was published Fri, Dec 8, 2000

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - The National Weather Service would like to use tone alert radios in the area to warn residents when potentially dangerous storms are headed toward Northeastern Oregon.

The Weather Service on Thursday asked the Oregon Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program's board for permission to broadcast storm warnings over the more than 15,000 tone alert radios CSEPP has placed in area homes.

The free radios are designed to alert residents if a chemical release occurs at the Umatilla Chemical Depot and to provide safety instructions on what residents should do.

Weather Service meteorologist Bruce Bauck said the radios could be a help in protecting residents in other emergency situations such as severe thunderstorms, flash floods or tornadoes.

"Remember the Hermiston hailstorm of July 9, 1995, where baseball-sized hail smashed car windows and much more?" Bauck said. "During such events, I am sure you will agree that we should make every attempt to warn the citizens affected by the storm."

Bauck said in the event of a life-threatening storm, residents would hear their tone alert radios begin to beep.

Then, a short message in Spanish would state the kind of emergency. That would be followed by a full warning message in English and another Spanish message giving information about the type of warning, location and safety instructions.

Bauck said the short Spanish lead-in is important so Hispanic residents don't have to wait for the 45-second English message before finding out the emergency isn't a chemical release at the depot.

Hermiston Fire Chief Jim Stearns said although the added emergency messages might frighten some residents at first, further use of the radios can only save lives.

"This is the first step in making these radios an all-hazard warning," Stearns said. "But this will put added pressure on CSEPP information officers to let people know they will hear more than CSEPP emergencies on the radios."

Tom Groat of Umatilla County Emergency Management also favors the idea.

"The hailstorm a few years ago is a good example," Groat said. "If we would have had the radios then, we could have warned people about it."

The CSEPP managing board is considering the request and will make a decision at its next meeting.

 

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