If a city’s got an emergency warning system with bells and whistles that’s supposed to notify people of what to do when the waters rise or the earth shakes, it is good to test it from time to time.
Public information officers from Auburn Police, the Valley Regional Fire Authority and Public Works gathered in the City’s new emergency operations center in the 1 Main Street building Tuesday morning to put Auburn’s CodeRed Emergency Notification System through its paces.
Similar testing was going on throughout King County at the same time.
At 10 a.m. CodeRed began an hours-long process of testing the reverse phone notification system, placing calls to 40,250 numbers, taking all the 911 data plus everything that people had registered, including their cell phones and voice-over Ip phones.
The test message contained information on how people could register their cell phones, Internet phones, and e-mail addresses into the system.
Simultaneously, emergency warning signs located throughout the City were to be activated, directing people to tune to 1700 AM to hear a like message. The City also tested its e-mail, and its ability to override Channel 21, the Government Access Channel and put an emergency message on there.
It tested the government’s emergency telephone system, which gives the emergency folks priority access to phone system. It worked. It tested the alternative language capability. That worked, too.
“We tried to test every emergency notification system we have,” said Sarah Miller, emergency preparedness manager for the City of Auburn.
When testing was over, the system had reached 28,655 numbers, though only 23 people called back. The e-mail system worked and so did the TV21 override
What didn’t work was the AM 1700 override and the road signs that were supposed to direct people to tune in to AM1700 when flashing.
“The phone number was disconnected,” Miller said of the flashing road signs.
By Wednesday the City had resolved the problems with the flashing signs and the AM 1700 override and both were working.
“It’s why we test systems,” said Miller.
Residents may register by visiting www.auburnwa.gov and clicking the “Auburn Alert” link. Those who have previously registered do not need to do so again unless their address or phone numbers have changed.
Residential and business customers of Qwest communications who specifically subscribe to the “No Solicitation” service need not receive calls from the emergency calling system. Those customers should ensure that they have registered a cell phone number and/or e-mail address or that they specifically speak with Qwest and request that calls from Code Red be allowed through.
Residents of Auburn who did not receive the test call on April 20 and who do not subscribe to call blocking features on their phones should visit the City of Auburn website to ensure they are registered and/or call City of Auburn Emergency Management at 253-876-1925.
