Emergency Management Officials launch weather
alert radio contest
‘Weather Alert Radios Save Lives’ contest promotes
awareness; 100 radios to be awarded
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[April 30, 2015]
SPRINGFIELD
– The recent devastating tornadoes in northern Illinois were a
heartbreaking reminder of the tornado risk in Illinois. To increase
awareness and use of an important severe weather alerting tool, the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois
Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) today launched an
online quiz for a chance to win a weather alert radio. |
The ‘Weather Alert Radios Save Lives’ contest is available on the
Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov. The contest will
run now through May 22. This is the third time IEMA and IESMA have
sponsored the statewide contest.
“It’s important for people to have multiple ways to receive severe
weather warnings, particularly at night when most of us are
sleeping,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “Weather alert radios
will sound a tone when a warning has been issued for your area and
give you information about the approaching hazard. Similar to a
smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector, a weather alert radio can
give you precious time to take safety precautions.”
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A total of 100 weather alert radios will be awarded to participants
who register after reading information about the radios and
successfully completing a five-question quiz. Winners will be
announced in late May. The radios were purchased by IESMA as part of
an effort to increase the use of the devices in communities
throughout Illinois.
“IESMA is excited to team up with IEMA for this valuable awareness
contest,” said IESMA President Kevin Sargent. “Each region of the
state is affected by some type of extreme weather each year. This
year is no exception with the tornado outbreak in central and
northern Illinois earlier this month. IESMA believes many lives are
saved each year by people being able to receive severe weather
warnings from NOAA weather alert radios. Please take time to
participate in this contest for a chance to win one of 100 weather
alert radios to be given away.”
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The National Weather Service (NWS) and state and local emergency management
officials encourage individuals and businesses to have a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards with battery backup,
a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology, which
allows the radio to be programmed to receive alerts for specified counties. When
an alert is issued for that area, the device will sound a warning alarm tone
followed by the broadcast message.
Besides weather information, the NWS also broadcasts warnings and post-event
information for all types of hazards, including natural, environmental and
public safety hazards, such as earthquakes, chemical spills and AMBER alerts.
More information about severe weather preparedness also is available at
www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
[Illinois Emergency Management
Agency]
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