Date set for tsunami siren testing

Forty-five sirens located on the coastline between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake will sound for up to three minutes at 11am.  After the sirens sound there will be a message broadcast saying: “This is a test of the tsunami warning sirens. Do not be alarmed. This is only a test.”  

“The sirens are usually tested at the beginning and end of daylight-saving time. But this year the end of daylight-saving time coincides with Easter, so we are testing the sirens a week later instead,” says Manager, Civil Defence Emergency Management, Brenden Winder.  

This will be the last time the sirens are tested, following a Council decision in June last year to remove the outdated and unreliable siren network to help minimise confusion on what to do in an emergency. 

The Council’s primary alerting method, which is consistent with New Zealand and international best practice, is now a multi-modal approach with Emergency Mobile Alerts (EMAs). Alerts are sent directly to cell phones so are still received even if the siren network is down. 

Mr Winder says the Council will let the community know about any future changes to the tsunami alerting system. 

“And of course, regardless of sirens or alerts, if there is any earthquake that is particularly ‘long or strong’ it’s a sign to ‘get gone’. This means if the earthquake lasts for more than a minute, or if it is so strong that it’s difficult to stand up, you should evacuate the tsunami zone as soon as the shaking stops.”