Warning system to be tested in October
Residents in October will be able to hear what the sound of a siren would be if a missile were to make its way to Guam.
Warning system to be tested in October Residents in October will be able to hear what the sound of a siren would be if a missile were to make its way to Guam. Check out this story on guampdn.com: http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/09/05/warning-system-tested-october/632029001/
Jerick Sablan, jpsablan@guampdn.com Published 4:57 p.m. ChT Sept. 5, 2017 | Updated 9:38 a.m. ChT Sept. 22, 2017
The All Hazards Alert Warning System siren located next to the Yona Mayor's Office is shown in this Sept. 6 file photo.(Photo: PDN file photo)
Residents in October will be able to hear what it would sound like if a missile were headed toward Guam and officials set off the island's warning sirens.
Office of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense spokeswoman Jenna Blas said the All Hazards Alert Warning System sirens will be sounded during the first week of October as part of a quarterly test of the system.
The last time they tested the systems was June 5, she said.
The systems are in 15 areas around island, and officials hope to expand the sirens to more locations in the future, Blas said. The existing sirens were installed predominantly in coastal areas, to warn residents about tsunamis, not missiles from North Korea.
"Our office is working with federal partners to expand the mass notification capabilities for the safety of the island," she said.
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The office last week released an audio file online of what the siren would sound like if the threat level were to change in the event of a missile coming toward Guam.
Blas said the siren's sound is different for each event, with a specific sound to warn of a ballistic missile threat.
The model and size of the All Hazards Alert Warning System sirens have the capability to be heard with a radius of 4,800 feet, Blas said.
The range, however, is dependent on multiple factors, such as weather, terrain, surrounding structures, wind and traffic noise. Blas said officials view the sirens as one form of communication, and they rely on multiple forms of communication to get emergency messages out, she said.
She said officials would also use: the Emergency Alert System, through television and radio; SMS emergency alerts through local media and telecommunications companies; mass notification email; and from first responders, a release states. To learn more, visit www.ghs.guam.gov.
Sirens locations
GHS/OCD facility
Agat Marina
JFK High School
Talofofo Elementary School
Asan Mayor's Office
Pago Bay A-Frame South End
Inarajan Elementary School
Yona Mayor's Office
Ft. Soledad, Umatac
GWA Pump Station, Merizo
Ija Agricultural Station, Inarajan
Port Authority of Guam
Agat Senior Citizen's Center
Hotel Nikko Guam
Tamuning Mayor's Office
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