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The Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) has announced new indoor tsunami sirens are now available to alert people who live, work or holiday along the region’s coast.
The indoor plug-in sirens feature a loud alarm and a flashing blue light for the hearing impaired to alert people in evacuation zones of a pending tsunami. They are being sold for $155.25 (incl GST) and can only be purchased in person, at the Northland Regional Council (NRC), Water Street, Whangarei office.
“We’re introducing them for those who, for whatever reason, may be unable to hear local outdoor tsunami sirens,” Northland CDEM Group spokesperson Victoria Harwood said.
The sirens, which are about the size of a small lunchbox, were developed by Northland CDEM Group and Northpower (which assembles them in Whangarei) over the last year.
The indoor sirens only operate on either Northland’s Northpower or Top Energy networks and are synchronised to operate with the region’s 191 outdoor tsunami sirens. Both will sound simultaneously in the event of a genuine tsunami warning and during regular twice-yearly regional testing (at the start and finish of daylight savings).
Harwood noted purchasers must have a brief face-to-face introduction on their new indoor siren’s use before taking it away.
“Purchasers must make sure to buy the correct indoor siren designed to operate in their local power network, otherwise they won’t work,” she added.
