Weather radios help Norwich schools stay on top of alerts
NORWICH – The federal government has unveiled a program that would supply weather alert radios to each of the 97,000 public schools in the country, free of charge. According to Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Jones, the city has already considered this possibility and instituted the program.
Norwich is ahead of the curve where weather alert radios are concerned. The radios have been in place in each school in the district for three years. They automatically turn on when a national weather alert - like the ones that run across the bottom of the television screen - is issued. The alerts are coded by county, so if an alert is issued for a given area, the radios will power on and play the alert.
According to Jones, the city received a grant to install a radio transmitter in 2002. “We’ve been working on this project for five years,” he said. In 2003, the system went online, and the city began to receive donations for the purchase of the radios. The Police Benevolent Association, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department, and the Norwich City Fire Department each donated $500. The city was able to buy and distribute 40 weather radios.
“We felt it was important to get weather radios out where they could be most effective,” Jones said.
The radios were placed in areas where there were likely to be mass gatherings. They are currently located in school buildings, city buildings, at the Norwich Family YMCA, and at the Chenango County Fairgrounds. Not all of the radios have been distributed, so any organization that has large gatherings could still attempt to get one.
In Norwich, there has only been one clear event when the radio was used in an emergency situation. An alert was issued approximately two years ago when a tornado spun down South Broad Street, coming within two blocks of the middle and high schools. Officials were able to take the necessary precautions. According to Jones, several schools in the county are located in the flood plain and have the potential for future flooding.
In Norwich, there is not one set method to deal with a weather alert. “Each building has a different type of emergency plan,” Norwich Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan said. “If we get a warning, each building refers to their own plan.” The principal takes action based on the warning being issued, O’Sullivan said.
Norwich is ahead of the curve where weather alert radios are concerned. The radios have been in place in each school in the district for three years. They automatically turn on when a national weather alert - like the ones that run across the bottom of the television screen - is issued. The alerts are coded by county, so if an alert is issued for a given area, the radios will power on and play the alert.
According to Jones, the city received a grant to install a radio transmitter in 2002. “We’ve been working on this project for five years,” he said. In 2003, the system went online, and the city began to receive donations for the purchase of the radios. The Police Benevolent Association, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department, and the Norwich City Fire Department each donated $500. The city was able to buy and distribute 40 weather radios.
“We felt it was important to get weather radios out where they could be most effective,” Jones said.
The radios were placed in areas where there were likely to be mass gatherings. They are currently located in school buildings, city buildings, at the Norwich Family YMCA, and at the Chenango County Fairgrounds. Not all of the radios have been distributed, so any organization that has large gatherings could still attempt to get one.
In Norwich, there has only been one clear event when the radio was used in an emergency situation. An alert was issued approximately two years ago when a tornado spun down South Broad Street, coming within two blocks of the middle and high schools. Officials were able to take the necessary precautions. According to Jones, several schools in the county are located in the flood plain and have the potential for future flooding.
In Norwich, there is not one set method to deal with a weather alert. “Each building has a different type of emergency plan,” Norwich Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan said. “If we get a warning, each building refers to their own plan.” The principal takes action based on the warning being issued, O’Sullivan said.
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