More Outdoor Warning Devices To Be Installed
Installation and Replacement of Devices Enters Phase II
Edmond's Emergency Management Department has ordered ten new Outdoor Warning Devices (OWD) that will be installed in the next few weeks. Installing the devices is phase two of a three phase plan to replace older units and install additional devices. The new devices fill gaps and expand coverage throughout the city limits.
Last spring new controller software for the warning system was installed. The software makes the system easier to maintain and easier to activate remotely. Twelve new devices were also installed in the first phase of the three-year project. In the third year, an additional nine new devices will be installed. The cost of the three phase program is $500,000 and it is funded through the 3/4 cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax approved by Edmond voters in 2000.
Emergency managers emphasize that the Outdoor Warning Devices are not designed or intended for in-building coverage and they may not be heard when residents are inside their homes. Even though the new devices project farther, they may not warn residents who are indoors.
The devices are intended to warn those who are outdoors and may not be aware of impending severe weather. For indoor warnings, Edmond's Emergency Management Department urges residents to monitor local radio or television coverage of weather changes and to purchase NOAA All Hazards radios. The radios can be programmed to notify residents of tornados, ice storms, flooding, Amber Alerts and other emergencies in the area.
Edmond Emergency Management provides registration for storm shelters and a program to notify residents of severe weather during an outdoor event. Information about these programs is also available at edmondok.com.
Issued: August 14, 2008
