An Auckland Council pilot programme will see the installation of two new tsunami sirens in Orewa next month.
As well as reviewing tsunami alerting in the region, Auckland Council's Chief Engineer has been looking at targeting local emergency alerting with some local pilot projects, including the Orewa Sirens.
Nationally, the Emergency Mobile Alert system is used to send alerts and warnings to compatible mobile phone devices in times of emergency.
“This remains the main method of emergency alerting for the Auckland region for Orewa residents and the two new sirens will provide an additional layer of support,” Auckland Council Chief Engineer Sarah Sinclair says.
Sarah explains that, using new technology, the sirens will produce both a tone and voice instruction, letting the public know why they are going off, and what to do.
Much of the Orewa community lies in an area at risk from flooding by tsunami, and this has been a focus of local preparation and planning events for some time, such as the tsunami hīkoi at Orewa College.
“The final locations of the two sirens were chosen to maximise the reach of the siren to as much of the at-risk community as possible.”
Orewa siren information
The two new sirens will be located at the following locations:
- Centreway Reserve, western end of the carpark, on Riverside Road
- Brunton Park entrance, on West Hoe Road
An information evening will be held at the Orewa Community Centre on Tuesday, 18 February from 7 to 8pm.
If you have any questions or comments prior to the community meeting, you can send an email to AEMinfo@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz with the subject line: Orewa sirens.
For more information on Auckland Emergency Management visit aucklandemergencymanagement.org.nz
