On Wednesday, November 16th, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state of New Hampshire, in conjunction with Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, will conduct an audible demonstration of all 121 of the Public Alert and Notification System (PANS) sirens that are located within Seabrook Station’s 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). There are 27 sirens located in Massachusetts, within the communities of Amesbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury and West Newbury, with 94 in New Hampshire.
This demonstration is a public information endeavor designed to increase public awareness of what the sirens sound like and what to do if they are ever sounded due to a declared emergency. The siren demonstration will begin at 12:30pm, lasting from 3-5 minutes, and will be ending at approximately 12:35pm. No public action will be necessary.
While the PANS sirens can be used to notify the public of any kind of emergency (i.e. weather, homeland security event, etc.), the purpose of this November 16th demonstration is to provide the public within the 23 Seabrook Station EPZ communities an opportunity to again hear the siren tone that would be utilized by Massachusetts and New Hampshire to alert the public of an emergency at Seabrook Station.
The demonstration is intended to complement information published annually in the Emergency Public Information Calendars for Neighbors of Seabrook Station in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The annual emergency public information calendars advise the public that if they hear the PAN siren tone, for three to five minutes, tune to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio station for their state (93.7 FM, 92.5 FM, 1030 AM, 98.5 FM and 1450 AM in MA; 97.5 FM in NH) for specific information and directions. The demonstration is intended to reinforce that message.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema. Follow MEMA updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Don’t Stress, This is Only a Test!
A nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System will occur on Wednesday, November 9th at 2:00pm EST. As many of you are aware, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System this week. The test will last approximately 30 seconds and will be transmitted via television and radio stations across the U.S.
Remember, Don’t Stress - This is Only a Test!
Remember, Don’t Stress - This is Only a Test!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
FEMA, FCC TO CONDUCT FIRST NATIONWIDE TEST OF EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
MEMA to Coordinate Commonwealth’s EAS Test Effort
The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have announced the first-ever national test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place on Wednesday November 9th at 2:00 p.m. EST.
The EAS is a national alert and warning system established to enable the President of the United States to address the American public during emergencies. The National Weather Service, governors, and state and local officials also utilize parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts.
The purpose of the test is to determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally. Similar to the frequently conducted statewide EAS tests, the nationwide test will involve broadcast radio and television services, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline video service providers across all states and the territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
On November 9th, the public will hear a message indicating, “This is a test.” The audio message will be the same for all EAS participants, however, due to the limitations in the EAS the video test message scroll may not be the same or indicate that “This is a test.” The text at the top of the screen may indicate that an “Emergency Alert Notification has been issued.” This notification is used to disseminate a national alert and in this case, the test. In addition, the background image that appears on video screens during an alert may indicate that “This is a test,” but in some instances there might not be an image at all. The test is expected to last approximately three (3) minutes.
FEMA and the FCC are reaching out to organizations representing people with hearing disabilities to better prepare that community for this national test. In addition, both FEMA and the FCC are working with EAS participants to explore solutions to address this limitation.
Through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Commonwealth has the capability of alerting the public through the EAS system. MEMA serves as the state coordinating agency for disseminating local, regional and state initiated emergency alerts via the EAS. MEMA, in consultation with the Governor’s Office, used the EAS to provide emergency messages to the public as recently as June 1, 2011 when tornadoes hit areas of the state, and as Tropical Storm Irene impacted the state in late August.
MEMA will coordinate with our state public safety partners on November 9th to also test our redundant systems for pushing emergency messages to local and state public officials, including police, fire, emergency management and public health. MEMA coordinates a system that includes VHF, UHF and 800 MHz radio communications that link all municipalities; text, email and cellular phone alerting systems for public safety, public health and municipal officials; dedicated direct phone lines with regional fire control centers; and links to law enforcement through the Criminal Justice information System (CJIS).
This event should also serve as a reminder for all citizens to make an emergency preparedness kit for their family and business, develop a strong emergency plan and become better informed about the natural and technological threats to their community.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Flooding Issues, go to www.mass.gov/mema. Also, follow MEMA updates on Facebook and Twitter.
The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have announced the first-ever national test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place on Wednesday November 9th at 2:00 p.m. EST.
The EAS is a national alert and warning system established to enable the President of the United States to address the American public during emergencies. The National Weather Service, governors, and state and local officials also utilize parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts.
The purpose of the test is to determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally. Similar to the frequently conducted statewide EAS tests, the nationwide test will involve broadcast radio and television services, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline video service providers across all states and the territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
On November 9th, the public will hear a message indicating, “This is a test.” The audio message will be the same for all EAS participants, however, due to the limitations in the EAS the video test message scroll may not be the same or indicate that “This is a test.” The text at the top of the screen may indicate that an “Emergency Alert Notification has been issued.” This notification is used to disseminate a national alert and in this case, the test. In addition, the background image that appears on video screens during an alert may indicate that “This is a test,” but in some instances there might not be an image at all. The test is expected to last approximately three (3) minutes.
FEMA and the FCC are reaching out to organizations representing people with hearing disabilities to better prepare that community for this national test. In addition, both FEMA and the FCC are working with EAS participants to explore solutions to address this limitation.
Through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Commonwealth has the capability of alerting the public through the EAS system. MEMA serves as the state coordinating agency for disseminating local, regional and state initiated emergency alerts via the EAS. MEMA, in consultation with the Governor’s Office, used the EAS to provide emergency messages to the public as recently as June 1, 2011 when tornadoes hit areas of the state, and as Tropical Storm Irene impacted the state in late August.
MEMA will coordinate with our state public safety partners on November 9th to also test our redundant systems for pushing emergency messages to local and state public officials, including police, fire, emergency management and public health. MEMA coordinates a system that includes VHF, UHF and 800 MHz radio communications that link all municipalities; text, email and cellular phone alerting systems for public safety, public health and municipal officials; dedicated direct phone lines with regional fire control centers; and links to law enforcement through the Criminal Justice information System (CJIS).
This event should also serve as a reminder for all citizens to make an emergency preparedness kit for their family and business, develop a strong emergency plan and become better informed about the natural and technological threats to their community.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Flooding Issues, go to www.mass.gov/mema. Also, follow MEMA updates on Facebook and Twitter.
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