[MIham] Weather Radio Alerts

[Tom VanderMel]

   To ALL
 Thanks To Denny AB8QD in Muskegon for this. Do you have on yet. I have 3 in
 my house. Every house should have one. Tom  KB8VEE DEC-6

  I saw this in the print edition of USATODAY yesterday and thought it might
  be of interest.  The capability has always been there to do this, but now
  there is a formal agreement.

  More reason to pickup a newer generation All Hazards/Weather Radio with
 SAME
  built in.

   Denny  AB8QD
  ab8qd at arrl.net

  Weather radios will carry more kinds of alerts

  By Traci Watson
  USA TODAY

  WASHINGTON -- People across the nation now can learn quickly about
  emergencies ranging from tornadoes to terrorist attacks by owning a radio
  that broadcasts weather information, federal officials said Thursday.

  Weather radios have alerted listeners to natural emergencies such as
floods
  and storms, but now the radios will also broadcast alerts about man-made
  emergencies such as chemical spills, breakdowns in the 911 calling system
  and missing children.

  The Department of Homeland Security will also use the radio network to
  notify the public of terrorist attacks and a change in the color-coded
  national threat level.

  The broader role for weather radios is the result of an agreement signed
  Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Oceanic
 and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a branch of the federal government
that
  oversees the National Weather Service and operates the emergency network
  that broadcasts messages to weather radios.

  The agreement ''serves to strengthen our ability to protect Americans from
  both man-made and natural disasters,'' said Reynold Hoover of the Federal
  Emergency Management Agency.

  Here's how it works: If a factory emits toxic chemicals into the air, the
  radios in nearby counties will sound a loud tone, even if the radios
aren't
  switched on. The tone will be followed with information about the
emergency
  and instructions on what to do. Warning systems for the deaf can shake a
 bed or transmit a message to a printer.

  Alerts, if necessary, can be broadcast across regions or nationally. For
  instance, a problem at a nuclear power plant that could spread radiation a
  long distance could prompt an alert to several states.

  Before Thursday's agreement, the NOAA network offered only spotty coverage
  of man-made hazards such as oil and chemical spills.

  Now the network ''is going to be automatically part of the national
 response to alerting the public to dangers,'' said Conrad Lautenbacher, the
head of
  NOAA.

  Fifteen percent to 20% of Americans own a weather radio. Ownership is
 higher among people living along the coasts and in tornado-prone states
such as
  Oklahoma.

  Weather radios generally cost $35 to $70 and are sold by electronics
shops,
  department stores and big retailers. There are many brands, but most
 include
  the words ''All-Hazard Radio'' or ''Weather Radio'' on the packaging.