Weather Radio Programming Events

Although Severe Weather Awareness Week concluded last week, the Berrien County Emergency Management Office is hoping to keep the preparedness momentum going. They are partnering with WNDU, Walgreens, and the local Berrien Amateur Radio Emergency Service to hold NOAA Weather Radio Programming events in the area. “Preparedness shouldn’t end just because a designated awareness week has concluded,” said Capt. Rockey Adams, Berrien County Emergency Management Coordinator. “NOAA weather radios are an important part of our public warning system and allow severe weather warnings to reach a large coverage area using radio technology.”

The weather radio programming events are being held as follows:

* Saturday, May 9th, 7AM to noon, Walgreens 1710 W John Beers Rd, Stevensville

Weather radios will be offered for sale at the programming events for those who need one and they can be programmed on site. For those that have an old one that may have lost its programming are encouraged to bring them to one of the events and the amateur radio operators will be on hand to reprogram them or troubleshoot technical problems.

NOAA Weather Radios receive National Weather Service (NWS) warnings, watches, forecasts and other non-weather related hazard information 24 hours a day. During an emergency, NWS forecasters interrupt routine broadcasts and send a special tone activating local weather radios. Weather radios equipped with a special alarm tone feature sound an alert to give you immediate information about a potential life-threatening situation. Typically, NOAA weather radios offer a great chance of hearing an emergency alert inside a building or house, especially while sleeping. These radios may also be used to broadcast alerts for other, non-weather, emergencies as well. For more information on NOAA weather radio systems see http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/ .

The Berrien Amateur Radio Emergency Service is composed of licensed amateur radio operators who are sincerely interested in public service communications when disaster strikes or whenever communications can be utilized for public service work. For more information on Emergency Amateur Radio Operation, see http://blossomlandara.org/BARES/BARES-Page.html .