23 September 2013

Tsunami sirens to be tested this Sunday

Daylight savings is almost here and that means it's time to test the tsunami sirens.

On Sunday 29 September 2013, daylight savings weekend, Whangarei, Kaipara and Far North District tsunami sirens will be tested. In the Whangarei and Kaipara Districts sirens along coastal and harbour locations on the east coast from Bland Bay in the north of the Whangarei District, south through to Mangawhai Heads in the Kaipara District will be tested.

On Sunday 29 September 2013, the sirens will sound for 10 minutes at 9.20am and again for 30 seconds at 10am. The blue lights will flash throughout the period of the test.

The network of 74 sirens is managed by the Whangarei District Civil Defence Emergency Management Officer Victoria Randall and activated with the assistance of Northpower using the existing ripple control system, free of charge.

“The biannual tsunami siren testing is an opportunity to educate people about what to do when the sirens are sounded,” said Ms Randall.

The correct action for people to take when they hear the siren is to turn on the radio, TV, computer or to contact someone who can access these sources of information, to find out what is going on.

“On Sunday 29 September, people should not hear that there has been an actual tsunami alert via the media sources mentioned, but just in case there is a billion-to-one coincidence and the test coincides with tsunami alert from the Ministry of Civil Defence, people who tune in will be given the information they need,” Ms Randall said.

“People sometimes ask why a tsunami siren doesn’t automatically mean to evacuate the coast. Giving people early warning that they need to seek information helps to prevent panic, ensures the public are well informed and ready to do what they need to when instructions to evacuate are given.”

“New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management gets information out to all media as soon as the possibility of a tsunami is known and we advise our coastal emergency networks and emergency services.

“Information is received in Northland from the scientific team at the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and at that point the decision of whether or not to activate the tsunami sirens, will be made based on the level of risk stated in the information received. Tsunami sirens will always be activated if there is a threat to land and our communities.”

Ms Randall said there are 14 coastal communities identified within the Whangarei District. Each community has a Community Response Group, made up of volunteers from within that community. The group coordinators are the key contacts for Civil Defence and each group has developed a community response plan.

These plans are used by communities during a response to a Civil Defence event, including a tsunami.

The community response plans, evacuation zone maps and tsunami sirens are tools Civil Defence can use to alert and equip communities to respond to a tsunami event.

The tsunami siren tests are at the end of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management's ‘Get Ready, Get Thru’ week from 23-29 September.

‘Get ready, Get Thru’ is a reminder for people to look at their own personal preparedness. This year's theme is about looking after your neighbours, making sure that not only your family will be OK but checking on and talking about it with your neighbours too.

ENDS

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