How retro. Since embracing new technology — specifically mass text messaging — didn’t seem to reach far enough into the local constituency, Virginia emergency management personnel have decided to look backwards instead. They’re installing sirens of the Cold War variety to warn people of any impending doom. WTOP tells us Alexandria and Arlington have implemented a federally funded program that will pay for about ten to 15 sirens affixed to telephone poles and buildings around the city.
The Post reported about the sirens when the program was picked up last year. They’ll have a few perks the old nuke warnings didn’t have — they come with loudspeakers, so that after the siren noise has gone off, directions or information can be relayed. They can also be tested silently, though they do plan to run active drills this summer.
Though the Post optimistically noted that “the threat of nuclear war [is] over” (whew!), and WTOP only mentions weather emergencies “such as a tornado or high winds,” the county of Arlington is a little more honest: they’re a response to September 11, 2001. Certainly in the nation’s capital we need our emergency personnel to be prepared for terrorist attacks, and if residents aren’t signing up for the free alerts (which you can do for D.C., Montgomery County) then we suppose city officials will try to find other ways to warn people not near televisions or radios of possible danger.
We worry a little bit about a similar system being installed and tested in the District proper. What would happen if it went off in the middle of the National Mall (where the system is sure to follow) during high-tourist season? And perhaps more importantly, would an additional $350,000 — the cost of the program — have been better off invested in immediate response team training and equipment (though it’s hard to fault a city that’s actually thinking about emergency reponse to begin with)? What are your thoughts? Have our NoVa readers seen any of the sirens installed in their neighborhood?
Photo by wonder_al, used under a creative commons license.
