It’s that time of the year – again. Tonight, remember to put your clocks BACK one hour. And yes, while it is sad to lose the long summer evenings, at least the mornings will be lighter for a while.
It’s also a good time to check the batteries on all the smoke alarms in your home and make sure they are in good working order.
For those in the Auckland region, Auckland Civil Defence will be running the first of their twice-yearly checks of the tsunami sirens on the north and west Auckland coasts at midday on Sunday 3 April.
“The public should not be alarmed, and are not required to do anything,” says Aaron Davis, Auckland Civil Defence’s Head of Emergency Management Operations.
“We run these tests to check operational performance and familiarise residents with the siren tones. The sirens are just one of a number of technology-based public warning systems that Auckland Civil Defence has in place for the entire region to better prepare for natural disasters.”
“People can also subscribe to SMS text messaging alerts, the Auckland Civil Defence smartphone app or engage with us via Twitter and Facebook,” he says.
Councillor Sharon Stewart, Chair of Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee says, “Tests like this are nothing to worry about but they are important to carry out to raise awareness and check processes. I’d encourage residents to download the Auckland Civil Defence smartphone app to stay updated wherever they are.”
The tsunami sirens are located in Rodney at Point Wells, Whangateau, Omaha and Waiwera. In Waitākere, sirens are located at Bethells Beach Te Henga, Piha North, Piha South, Karekare, Whatipu, Little Huia, Huia, Te Atatu South, Harbour View Road, Te Atatu Peninsula North, Westpark Marina, Hobsonville Airbase (Harrier Point) and Herald Island.
The test sequence will be three sets of tones, each signalling a specific action. They will sound for one minute each and there will be 15 seconds between each set. In an emergency, tones will sound for longer.
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