• Sirens
• Highway Message Reader Boards
• Highway Advisory Radio
• Tone Alert Radios
• Emergency Alert System (EAS)

Sirens

Seventy-six outdoor sirens are strategically placed in the emergency response zones surrounding the Umatilla Chemical Depot. This includes in and near the communities of Hermiston, Echo, Stanfield, Umatilla, Irrigon and Boardman (Oregon) and Plymouth and Paterson (Washington). The sirens use two different tones, an emergency alert tone and a test tone.

If a chemical emergency occurs, these sirens sound the ALERT tone for three minutes.  Click to hear the  EMERGENCY ALERT tone.  The alert tone will be followed by this voice message in English and Spanish:

CHEMICAL EVENT WARNING:  "There has been an accident at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. Go indoors.  Close all doors and windows.  Start shelter-in-place procedures.  Follow instructions issued over your Tone Alert Radio or listen to a local radio station for emergency instruction."

The sirens are tested with a TEST tone at noon on the last Tuesday of each month. Click to hear the TEST tone. The voice message (which plays before and after the test tone) says:

SIREN TEST MESSAGE:  "This is a test of the CSEPP warning sirens, this is only a test."  "This concludes the test of the CSEPP warning sirens, this was only a test. Had this been a real incident you would have been given emergency instruction over your local radio station or your Tone Alert Radio."

Highway Message Reader Boards

Nineteen message boards have been placed along highways near the Depot.  Used on a day-to-day basis to warn drivers with a message of hazardous road conditions or road closures ahead, these reader boards will be used to warn drivers if an emergency occurs at the Depot.  The message that would be displayed in a chemical emergency is:   "Toxic hazard ahead.  Road Closed."


Highway Advisory Radio

The Oregon Department of Transportation has enhanced the ability to alert motorist through installation of a Highway Advisory Radio system.  Flashing lights advise motorist to tune their car radio to a specific AM radio station to learn about conditions ahead.  In a Depot emergency, these broadcasts would tell drivers where the road closures are and provide detour routes.

Tone Alert Radios

Homes and businesses in Hermiston, Umatilla, Stanfield, Echo, Irrigon and Boardman (Oregon) have been provided a free special indoor warning device called a Tone Alert Radio (TAR).  In addition to providing warning and emergency instructions for a chemical emergency, TARs can provide weather alerts from the National Weather Service.  They will be activated to warn you of flash floods, severe lightning or tornados.  For more information on the National Weather Service and weather alerts check out these internet sites  www.wrh.noaa.gov/pendleton and  www.nws.noaa.gov/nwh .

If your TAR sounds the alert tone, listen carefully to the message that follows to determine if it is a weather alert or a chemical emergency.

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

Have you heard this on radio or TV?  "Beep.... This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. Broadcasters in your area in voluntary cooperation with the FCC and other local authorities have devised this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency..." Local emergency management officials would activate this system if there is an emergency at the Depot. EAS messages will tell you what actions you need to take to protect yourself.  EAS radio stations in Oregon that cover the Umatilla vicinity include:

EAS RADIO STATIONS
If you are in Oregon you should tune to:		If you are in Washington you should tune to:
AM Stations	FM Stations	AM Station	FM Station
1360 KOHU	92.1   KUMA	610 KONA	105.3 KONA
1240 KTIX	100.5 KQFM
1290 KUMA	103.5 KWHT