From FOX 6
Beginning in January, thousands of Alabama residents will have the opportunity to protect their homes and businesses with a free emergency alert radio. All they have to do is fill out a card and drop it in the mail. Participation forms for free radios to be mailed first week in January.
The Community Safety Program is being coordinated by the emergency management agencies of six Alabama counties: Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair and Talladega. The goal of this program is to place an advanced emergency alert radio in every eligible home, business, church, school and agency within the targeted region.
The only exception is areas in Calhoun County's Immediate Response Zone and Pink Zone, as identified by the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP). Radios will be distributed to these zones in a later phase. In the first week of January, eligible residents will receive a brochure in the mail with instructions on how to request a free emergency alert radio.
"It's very important that those receiving this mail piece take the time to complete the participation form, detach it, and drop it in the mail," says Steve Swafford, County Executive Officer of Cleburne County. Swafford serves as project manager for the emergency alert radio program. "The form asks for basic contact information only, and there is no postage required to mail it back," Swafford adds. "By taking just a few minutes to complete and return the form, residents will help themselves to be better prepared and help us to meet our goals of participation and public preparedness."
The program is a partnership between the local emergency management agencies and the Department of Homeland Security of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The goal of the federal multi-million dollar grant is to place some 125,000 emergency alert radios throughout the region. It is the largest project of its nature in the U.S. "There has never been an Emergency Alert Radio program of this scale, encompassing this many households over such a vast geographic area," says Swafford. Part of what made securing the grant money possible is the presence of the chemical stockpile and incineration program in Anniston.
For some 20 years, the CSEPP program has helped people in the region prepare for potential public safety emergencies. Many homes were equipped with a tone alert radio to receive communications regarding threats. As the incineration process nears completion and the CSEPP program phases out, local EMA officials were looking for a way to provide a different level of protection to residents.
"The tone alert radios were built to stringent government specifications unique to the stockpile program," explains Swafford. "They didn't interface directly with the NOAA weather radio system, and they are expensive to purchase as well as maintain." Residents will soon receive the WR100 manufactured by Midland Radio Corporation.
These radios will deliver information about many types of emergencies, including threatening weather, hazardous materials accidents, evacuations and even AMBER alerts. "These are the most up-to-date, technologically advanced radios available," says Swafford. "They feature many unique capabilities, such as selective call alert that lets the user narrow alerts to only their region or county."
Once residents receive their participation form in the mail, they will have until the end of March to respond. "All cards must be received by our fulfillment contractor by March 31 in order to qualify for a free emergency response radio," says Swafford.
Homes and businesses in the Immediate Response Zone and the Pink Zone will also receive an information brochure the first week in January. This brochure will explain the project and inform recipients that their opportunity for a free emergency response radio will come later in the year. Those residing in these zones should continue using their tone alert radios until a later distribution is scheduled.
The EMAs involved have made great effort to inform the population of the Community Safety Program. "In addition to the direct mail, we are using local media outlets to help get the word out," says Swafford. "We are also holding public meetings in different communities, putting posters in schools, and providing additional support materials to ensure the public understands the program." One of the most effective communications tools available today - the Internet - is also being employed by the project sponsors.
By visiting Ear Ready. US residents can discover if they are eligible, while learning more information about the emergency alert radio and its operation. Swafford encourages residents to visit the Web site for answers related to the project, to request a radio or for help when programming and configuring their units.
The most important action to take, Swafford reiterates, is to complete the form and drop it in the mail. "It's really that simple," he says. "Receive the form, fill it out, detach it, and return the postage-paid card before March 31. We will then send you a free emergency alert radio. "We've made participation as easy as possible."
