HomeMy WebLinkAboutNR112017KEMA
C O U NT Y O F KAU A‘I
BERNARD P. CARVALHO JR.
Mayor
WALLACE G. REZENTES JR.
Managing Director
KAUA'I EMERGECNY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
News Release
For Immediate Release: November 20, 2017
ELTON USHIO, ADMINISTRATOR
Tel (808) 241-1800
Fax (808) 241-1860
Test of new signal scheduled Dec. 1
LĪHU'E – The Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency is announcing that a new siren
signal will be tested on Friday, Dec. 1, at 11:45 a.m.
A wailing (alternating rising/falling) tone that advises everyone to take immediate shelter,
the “attack warning” tone will be added to the monthly test of the Statewide Outdoor Warning
System on the first business day of every month. The system is used to alert the public to any
emergency that may pose a threat to life or property.
During the Dec. 1 test and for all subsequent monthly tests, the standard “alert” tone will
sound for 50 seconds, followed by a 10-second pause and then 50 seconds of the “attack
warning” tone.
“Although the probability of a nuclear missile attack on Hawai‘i is still assessed as
unlikely, emergency managers from the Kauai Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) and the
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) stress the importance of whole-community
awareness and preparedness should such an event occur,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
One of the first steps people can take to prepare for a missile attack is the same as
preparation for other hazards, such as hurricanes and tsunamis: Families should assemble a 14-
day disaster kit of food and supplies.
If a missile is launched from North Korea, the warning time available for Hawai‘i is only 15
minutes or less. Given the short timeframe, the public will have little time to react. The public is
advised to prepare and exercise a plan for their families ahead of time.
“If the public hears the new attack warning signal outside of scheduled testing periods,
they should immediately seek shelter, indoors if possible, stay inside, and stay tuned to local
media for updates,” said Elton Ushio, Emergency Management Administrator for KEMA.
For more information on how you and your family can be prepared for both natural and
man-made disasters, please visit ready.hawaii.gov.
###