Outdoor sirens: not just for tornados

Ottawa County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 10/03/2022 08:15 AM EDT

October 3, 2022

For Immediate Release

Outdoor sirens: not just for tornados

Lou Hunt, Ottawa's Emergency Management Director and the County's 'official storm chaser' wants you to know that outdoor warning sirens are not just for tornados.

"It’s important that our citizens understand that the outdoor warning sirens can alert for many types of emergencies," said Hunt. "If you hear the outdoor warning sirens, go inside and seek more information."

The sirens are often used to alert residents of tornados or high winds, but they could also be used during a chemical hazard or nuclear threat. Sirens are intended to alert people who are outdoors (within about a mile of the sounding location) to seek shelter and further emergency instructions from TV, radio and other media or technology. More information about sirens including a map of locations is available at https://www.miottawa.org/Sheriff/sirens.htm. The sirens are tested monthly from April through October.

Simulate a real chemical emergency

This Friday, October 7, will be the last test of the outdoor warning siren for 2022. Between now and then, emergency planners are urging residents to take a moment and simulate a real emergency. Officials are calling it a Shelter In Place Drill for a Chemical Emergency and here's what you should do for the simulation:

Go inside and close doors and windows. For this drill, we are acting as though a poisonous vapor has been released into the air.
Shut down air conditioners, furnaces or fans. The goal is to keep outside air from entering inside.
Grab a role of duct tape and simulate taping window and door jams and covering vents.
In a real emergency, you would stay in your home or current location (called "shelter in place") until a message reaches you that it is safe to resume activity.
If you cannot physically practice these steps, at least think about them.
If you are part of a business or organization, have you designated the responsible party for these steps? Can you discuss these steps with your team?

"In a technological world, a variety of chemicals travel our roads, rails and are even manufactured in Ottawa County. Having the capability to shelter in place during a chemical emergency is a something we need to be prepared for," said Hunt.

For more information about chemical emergencies, visit https://www.miottawa.org/Sheriff/LEPC/shelter-in-place.htm

Media Contact:

Lou Hunt, Emergency Management
lhunt@miottawa.org | 616-738-4050

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Images included with press releases may be reproduced for editorial use. For high resolution images, email the media contact in the press release.

County Logo

Ottawa County is located on Lake Michigan's spectacular freshwater coastline where nature is cherished and protected. More than the lakeshore, you'll find the people of Ottawa County friendly yet driven, working hard to succeed in charming downtown small businesses, at manufacturing hubs with global impact and on acres passed down from generations. We embrace creativity and believe that diversity makes us stronger. We resolve that our public services must be high-quality and cost-effective. We are innovative and never wait for someone to solve our problems for us. We are friendly neighbors chipping in, lending a hand and making sure you know Ottawa County is where you belong.

The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meets the second and fourth Tuesdays each month at 1:30PM. The public is welcome and encouraged to participate. Meetings are held in the Board Room located at 12220 Fillmore Street, West Olive, Michigan. Contact information and district information for the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners is available at miOttawa.org.

Receive Fewer Messages | Unsubscribe