The Region H Outdoor Storm Warning Siren Working Group has published their standardized guidance document on the activation of outdoor storm warning sirens in Region H. The working group, chaired by Cameron Chief of Police / EMD Corey Sloan and co-chaired by Clinton County EMD Blair Shock, has been meeting since January 2012 with regional emergency managers, regional planning commission representatives, state emergency management liaisons, social media specialists, social scientists, National Weather Service meteorologists and broadcast meteorologists on the development of the standardized document.
The group has spent considerable time and effort in quantitative and qualitative research, physical and environmental data analysis pre- and post severe storm, social and psychological analysis of pre- / post disaster human response, social media utilization in the context of emergency management and other data mining and research methods relating to hazardous weather responses and the social / physical / environmental impacts.
The document is an open source document that jurisdictions in Region H may utilize in their outdoor storm warning siren policy analysis. The goal of the document is to provide the citizens and visitors of Northwest Missouri with common, accepted industry practices that will allow emergency service personnel the ability to provide a timely, clear and accurate message so citizens can take immediate action to protect life and property when faced with a hazardous weather situation.
The core areas of the 19 page document include: background of the historic 2011 spring weather season, outdoor storm warning siren activation principles, rationale and theory, Region H monthly testing guidelines, unacceptable practices, NWS emergency management communications applications and incentive programs, alternative hazardous weather information sources, public education presentations, social media applications, and a potential funding mechanism for outdoor storm warning siren infrastructure upgrades. The document will serve as the industry benchmark in the development of policy and guideline modifications for existing infrastructure upgrades for area jurisdictions.
The document guidelines are available now to local jurisdictions with recommendations on standardization to take effect on January 1, 2013. Each individual jurisdiction may *choose* to follow the guideline if they desire. There are no mandatory clauses for jurisdictions to adopt or implement the guideline. However, the document presents the common accepted practices in the industry for the alert, notification and safety of our citizens, which is an adequate driving factor for the adoption of the standardization document.
Since the groups inception, the interest has grown at the state level and in the months to come, there will be a push to implement the document statewide. Assistance from the Missouri Department of Public Safety, the State Emergency Management Agency and consortium of state regional planning commissions is expected.
Links to access the standardization document will be added to the following websites: MO-KAN, Green Hills Planning Commission, Northwest Council of Governments, Region H Homeland Security Oversight Committee, Missouri Department of Public Safety, and the State Emergency Management Agency. In addition, links will be provided to local jurisdiction websites and area media outlets. A simple web browser search engine can provide you the URL's for the aforementioned organizations.
Links:
Region H Outdoor Warning Siren Activation Guidelines (262kb .pdf)
Region H OWS Working Group Informational Flyer (155kb .pdf)
More about the Outdoor Warning Siren Working Group at Mo-Kan.org
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