Free emergency radios for schools go unused

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Raven95150

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I don't really think the radios are necessary, but since they already have them I guess they probably should use them. They are a good idea, but someone in the school more than likely already has a local TV or radio station on anyway, and they get the word out just as fast. Also, most schools are large thick-walled concrete/brick buildings. Unless the tower is close by, the weather radio probably wouldn't get very good reception inside the building.

Again, I am not saying that weather radios are not a good thing to have, but there are plenty of other ways to be alerted that are just as acceptable. I signed up for alerts on my phone from The Weather Channel (free) and I get the alert on my phone at least a minute before the warning comes across on NOAA radio.
 

KC0QNB

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If there is a severe weather issue, or other disaster type situation. your phone will probably fail to get you notified, a lot of schools have education specific programs, that come from satellite or cable, probably won't hear a thing until it is too late.
And a lot of schools do not allow rf transmitters while school is in session, that lets out cellphones black berries and the like, however there are some schools setting up a amateur radio station with in the school, that can be an "educational experience" some even have a amateur license program as part of space studies.
If they have EAS capable radios, they should be "required" to have at least one on in the main office. Just my opinion.
 

landonjensen

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I visited my old middle school a month or so ago.. and they had theirs setup in the Main Office working 100%. My high school currently however, I haven't seen one..
 

kb2vxa

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NOAA has been pushing to have weather alert receivers in schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, etc. ever since the original single tone alert system went into operation decades ago. Apparently few got the message that these receivers save lives so there has been little interest in them. This is just the latest example in a long series of failed alert systems and all failed for the same reason, lack of education. Heck, when I was a kid everybody wondered why the air raid sirens went off at other than the weekly test at 12:00 noon on Saturday, they just milled about with bewildered looks on their faces until somebody happened to catch the news on the local radio station and STILL wondered where the mushroom was. DUH! Now I wonder if anybody even knows we have an LPAM transmitter at the municipal building for local event information and emergency announcements and when not activated rebroadcasts the local VHF NOAA transmitter.
 

chrismol1

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boy oh boy
we just kept on going if there was a big storm!
We got out early when there was lots of snow coming! the man in high power just watched the news channel, and if there was snow coming he just put an announcement on the PA!
why does everyone know have to have emergency radios?
nationwide alerts
 

jleverin

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Well, looking at schools in San Diego CA is not typical of the rest of the country, the climate is pretty temperate(no storms), they probably never have much happening except earthquakes disaster wise. I lived on the CA coast a little farther north for 16 years and the only thing people worried about there were fires or earthquakes. One time in all those years there was a heavy winter rain and minor flooding in the low areas. Some other school systems in other areas of the country might take the radios a little more seriously, just a thought.
 

poltergeisty

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Hope the principals of these schools at least have one on the desk. The radios better use SAME other wise they tend to be a pain. :lol: (rhymed)

If they live near San Diego it would be of interest to them. There is a nice nuke plant there.
 

rdale

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The radios are SAME - and I can't imagine enough tornadoes hitting SD to really make this a big deal. If they are near enough to a nuke plant to need to know if an evacuation is needed, they already have a method of being alerted.
 

chrismol1

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Not for snowstorms - but for tornadoes. For those, you do NEED a weather radio.
then send them to the midwest
also, NYC could use them because today there is a tornadoe warning in NYC, lol
 

KC0QNB

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This all goes along with education in general, a few years ago we got a NOAA weather radio transmitter in our county, only 300 watts but it works and works well. Of the people I have talked to (I talk to a lot of people, daily) 1 in 25 has heard of the transmitter, of those that know about it, about 5% have the radios.
Earlier in the year a major TV broadcaster in the state, sent their chief meteorologist, out and about with a representative of the NWS, to program the radios, that shoppers bought at major grocery chain stores (in the eastern part of the state). I sent an email to the broadcaster and chewed on them for not including the rest of the state (only the western half), about a week later they announced they were going to add another chain of discount stores, and at least sell the radios, at the "special price" advertised. But no traveling programmers.
As a ham operator and a weather radio user and "pusher" I suggested to out ham club that we could do the programming for the broadcaster, well I guess I need to try again next year.
 

rdale

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then send them to the midwest
also, NYC could use them because today there is a tornadoe warning in NYC, lol

They are in the midwest and they are in NYC too... Good suggestion though!
 

rdale

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What method would that be?

All use alerting sirens - many install direct communications systems that would be faster than NWR.

MY concern is when your 50 miles away. If one blows it's all over fast. All you have is a metal taste in your mouth.

And NWR would come in handy, along with EAS.
 
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DaveNF2G

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Warning radios are of no real use in an earthquake. Nobody has figured out how to predict that one is about to happen. If an earthquake occurs, everybody in the affected area finds out about it at the same time.
 

poltergeisty

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Warning radios are of no real use in an earthquake. Nobody has figured out how to predict that one is about to happen. If an earthquake occurs, everybody in the affected area finds out about it at the same time.

Also, no one can really predict while the choline gas will travel when the freight train derailed during the "earthquake".


Furthermore, the disaster caused by a possible terrorist...

“I remember getting it and trying to figure out, 'Why do we have it? And what is it for?' ” said Lois Booth, assistant principal at Washington Middle School in Vista. “My guess is, we don't have one anymore. I would have no clue where it is.”


Hoemland Security needs classes for schools!!
 
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rdale

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Also, no one can really predict while the choline gas will travel when the freight train derailed during the "earthquake".

That would be a hazmat leak, and that could be toned out by the weather radio.

Hoemland Security needs classes for schools!!

Yep - sending them out with no education alongside is yet another waste of money...
 
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