Don't Have A Tone Alert Radio?
Release Date: June 27, 2000
Release Number: R10-00-58
SEATTLE, Wash. -- If you live in the cities of Hermiston or Umatilla and haven't received your FREE Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Tone Alert Radio, you may need to call and request an installation visit.
Distributors from Radio Service Company are making their way through these communities delivering the special warning devices to all occupied structures. Where nobody is home, a pink "Sorry We Missed You" tag, printed in English and Spanish, is being left on doorknobs. The tags request that occupants call 800-307-7708 to schedule a visit by an installation crew.
Deliveries continue in the Irrigon area and CSEPP sector G and residents should call the 800 number only if they have received a "Sorry We Missed You" tag.
The TAR is designed to alert people indoors in the unlikely event of a chemical release from the Depot. It works with emergency sirens and highway reader boards throughout the area and the Emergency Alert System that airs on local radio and TV to warn people.
Residents are typically contacted door-to-door weekday evenings between 5 and 9 p.m., and on weekends. Businesses should expect installers during business hours. Radio Service Company acknowledges that many people have different schedules and that these hours may be unsuitable in many individual cases. That's why Radios Service Company is encouraging people in Hermiston and Umatilla who haven't received their Tone-Alert Radio yet, to go ahead and make that call to 800 307-7708 to set up a delivery.
Residents and business owners in the cities of Stanfield, Echo, Hinkle, Echo Meadows and Stanfield Meadows, and surrounding areas in preparedness sector "D" should expect delivery to begin in their areas within the next week, according to Radio Services Company Tone-Alert Radio Project Specialist Mike Gerdes.
Sector D is bounded on the north by Feedville Road at the Umatilla River south to Butter Creek, to South Butter Creek, to High Line Canal, then east on High Line Canal and Hunt Ditch to the Umatilla River, then south to Cold Springs Dam, then north on Reith Road to the south Echo City limits, then north on the east side of Echo to Echo Cemetary Road, to Thelson Road, then north to Interstate 84 and Highway 395, then north on South Edwards Road to U.S.R.S. Canal, then west to Highway 395, then north to Feedville Road.
Installers wear special reflective vests and company identification badges. If a Radio Services Company identification badge is not readily apparent, people should ask to inspect the badge before admitting the individual. FEMA's Region 10 CSEPP office in Bothell, Wash., strongly recommends citizens NOT allow unidentified strangers into homes or businesses. Complete geographical descriptions of each sector can be found in the CSEPP 2000 Public Awareness Calendar mailed last December.
Recipients will be asked to sign for the radio. Each is programmed for a specific "sector" and must remain where it's installed for it to operate properly. A strobe light will be available for people requiring a visual means of notification.
Technicians will inquire about a convenient place to install the radio. They should be installed near an electrical outlet and close to a window if possible.
Before departing the premises, installers will cover radio operation and provide an informational pamphlet about the TAR printed in both English and Spanish. Linguists are available to assist if Spanish is the primary language spoken. The entire process takes about 10-12 minutes.
Citizens may also call the (800) 307-7708 toll free number if they have questions about the overall delivery schedule or the TAR itself. For questions regarding emergency preparedness or the CSEP Program, please call your county emergency management office (541) 922-4437 in Morrow County, or toll free in Umatilla County at (877) 367-2737.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 18-Nov-2003 10:03:06