At midday on Sunday 3 April 2016, Auckland Civil Defence will be running the first of its twice-yearly checks of the tsunami sirens on the north and west Auckland coasts, coinciding with the end of daylight savings.

“The public should not be alarmed, and are not required to do anything,” says Aaron Davis, Auckland Civil Defence’s Head of Emergency Management Operations.

“We run these tests to check operational performance and familiarise residents with the siren tones.

"The sirens are just one of a number of technology-based public warning systems that Auckland Civil Defence has in place for the entire region to better prepare for natural disasters.

Civil Defence smartphone app

“People can also subscribe to SMS text messaging alerts, the Auckland Civil Defence smartphone app or engage with us via Twitter and Facebook,” he says.

Councillor Sharon Stewart, Chair of Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee says, “Tests like this are nothing to worry about, but they are important to carry out to raise awareness and check processes. I’d encourage residents to download the Auckland Civil Defence smartphone app to stay updated wherever they are.”

The tsunami sirens are located in Rodney at Point Wells, Whangateau, Omaha and Waiwera. In Waitākere, sirens are located at Bethells Beach Te Henga, Piha North, Piha South, Karekare, Whatipu, Little Huia, Huia, Te Atatu South, Harbour View Road, Te Atatu Peninsula North, Westpark Marina, Hobsonville Airbase (Harrier Point) and Herald Island.

The test sequence will be three sets of tones, each signalling a specific action. They will sound for one minute each and there will be 15 seconds between each set. In an emergency, tones will sound for longer.

Comment on Civil Defence plan 

For more information about public alerting systems, and to hear the siren patterns, visit www.aucklandcivildefence.org.nz For the latest updates follow “Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management” on Facebook or @AucklandCDEM on Twitter.

You can help make Auckland more resilient to disasters by commenting on the draft Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Group Plan.

Visit shapeauckland.co.nz to provide your feedback. 

출처 : Auckland Council News