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A new emergency alert system that speaks four different languages failed to signal impending danger during Sunday’s tornado warning, according to some Oak Lawn residents.

“I couldn’t hear the tornado siren in my home,” Mickey Depre said. “I’ve lived her for 24 years, near the center of town at 96th and Cicero, and I’ve always heard the sirens go off when there were tornado warnings out. But not on Sunday.”

Oak Lawn installed a new warning system in April, replacing its old system, according to Art Clark, an Oak Lawn police commander in charge of the village’s emergency management agency. The new system sounds a shorter siren, lasting about 30 seconds, followed by appropriate warning messages. […]

After the initial siren, a spoken alert is made over the system in English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic, “the four primary languages spoken in our village,” Clark said. “The old technology, with the siren, you didn’t know what was happening. You weren’t sure of the nature of the emergency.

* Kadner pointed out the folly of such a warning system…

I told Clark that my experience with public address announcements, even indoors, is pretty poor.

In airports, hospitals, even business offices, here’s what I hear whenever someone is making an announcement over a PA system:

“Brringoh sacco grrgle THIS IS IMPORTANT to fshhhh skullll IMMEDIATELY.”

Oak Lawn’s system is open air. That means announcements are being tossed into the wind. On Sunday, that was a 40 to 50 mph wind. And some of the stuff being said is in a foreign language.

That doesn’t sound like a good thing to me.

No kidding.

* His conclusion…

A really loud air raid siren is still a universal signal to take cover. If the sky is clear, I think most folks would realize they ought to turn on a radio or make a phone call to find out if something other than a weather emergency is taking place.

Exactly right.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 10:54 am

Comments

here’s what I hear whenever someone is making an announcement over a PA system: “Brringoh sacco grrgle THIS IS IMPORTANT to fshhhh skullll IMMEDIATELY.”

Either that or this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 10:57 am
My community uses a reverse 911 system to warn people of flooding. Seems like that would be a better as a supplement to the sirens than talking into the wind.

Comment by Tommydanger Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:05 am
You hear a siren going off at noon on a Sunday and you don’t know what it means?

It means trouble. Get in the basement. No translation required.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:46 am
Why not use a recording of Garrett Morris screaming, “Run for your lives, we’re all going to die !”?

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:49 am
There was an old comedy bit where the flight leader lectured pilots on the proper way to use a new helmet. “Very important”, the flight leader says, “when putting the helmet on” (and then the flight leader puts on the new helmet), “mmmpog fmouagbe, whowhodisoguejhwh” (and then the flight leader takes the helmet off), “sudden death”.

Correspondence should be sent to all residents, in the aforementioned 4 languages, detailing what radio station, tv station or other media outlet, to listen/watch/read for further details as to what the warning involves. One should be tuning in while they are getting all the children, elderly, pets and themselves into a predetermined safe spot in the home.

Basic self survival info - what happened to that, anyway? Sending messages in 4 languages over a loudspeaker? Really?

My wife and I heard our town’s warning siren. I got the radio tuned to the best station while my wife rounded up the pets. Basic standard procedure.

I wonder who had the bright idea to change what has worked for so many years?

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:50 am
=== You hear a siren going off at noon on a Sunday and you don’t know what it means? ===

Plus, you would have to be unconscious to not be aware that really bad weather was anticipated on Sunday. Tom Skilling + siren = GET IN THE BASEMENT!

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:53 am
I know absolutely nothing about acoustics, and even I know that trying to have an open-air, vocal warning system is all kinds of idiotic.

Hope they didn’t waste too much taxpayer money on this little boondoggle.

Comment by TJ Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:55 am
As someone who grew up there, I’m shocked the village even admits there are people there who speak a language other than English in the home.

Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 11:57 am
The main problem was that no one could hear the sirens even with their windows open, because “This new system is not designed to be heard inside the house or other buildings.”

http://oaklawn.patch.com/groups/opinions/p/residents-rip-new-tornado-sirens

Comment by Southwest Cook Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 12:00 pm
This is called fixing something that isn’t broke.

What an incredibly stupid action that could have real tragic ramifications for people in this community. As someone mentioned, this type of warning only makes sense for a phone alert system.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 12:00 pm
I get phone/text alerts when dangerous weather is imminent, I received two alerts early Sunday afternoon. But the siren is understood by all, why change what works?

Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 12:26 pm
Instead of spending all that money on new sirens, why not buy every residence and business an all-hazards weather radio?

Comment by dr. reason a. goodwin Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 12:40 pm
The open air loudspeakers did not seem loud enough to go very far. They need something like the music loudspeakers at that music festival at Joliet speedway. They were heard clearly inside of houses miles away. Better yet go back to the old system.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:00 pm
=A really loud air raid siren is still a universal signal to take cover. =

Well I’m glad that they figured that one out.

Would love to hear the reasoning though behind the decision to go multi-lingual. Was it because it’s a “necessity” today, or is it that the air raid siren reminds people of, well…an air raid siren.

I’ll bet that given a choice, residents would probably choose safety rather than all the “awareness” of how multicultural all the pols are now.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:15 pm
Sometimes you have to wonder whether some people who work in government would be happier (and possibly even less dangerous to the general public) at Epcot.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:21 pm
Sirens are fine pretty much everyone knows what they mean.

Comment by RMW Stanford Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:22 pm
–Would love to hear the reasoning though behind the decision to go multi-lingual.–

That is rather bizarre. I can’t begin to explain.

English, Spanish, Arabic and Polish.

The rest of you chumps, you’re on your own!

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:23 pm
Sorry, BTW, to Epcot. They probably use air.raid.sirens which seem to be multi-lingual without any fancy upgrades that would raise tickets prices.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:25 pm
This is really, really hard to understand……..I hear this loud siren over a community-wide warning system, Golly, I just don’t know what to do.

Hello, run for shelter!!!! Seems pretty simple to me. What do people think, it’s to warn us of a cloud raining down snickers bars??? Good grief!

And it has to be in four languages? What does it say for those who don’t understand a WARNING siren’s meaning “Run dumb asses, Run”?

Comment by Sunshine Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 1:51 pm
Even six year olds know what the siren means:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-18/news/ct-tornado-boy-hero-met-1118-20131119_1_tornado-victim-saving-family-washington-boy

Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:18 pm
Sounds to me like somebody’s cousin was hawking fancy speaker systems and found a pigeon.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:27 pm
Well one of the teams from the hometown may have just won a championship like the 59 Sox did.

Comment by Been There Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 5:53 pm
You can feel Oak Lawn’s pain–or confusion! In the midst of the Storm packing its’ punch on my town, and reports on at least one TV Station that the track of Tornadoes could reasonably be heading directly our way in about a half an hour, I kept warily listening for that Warning Siren to go off. Thank the good Lord that dreadful high-pitched and very loud tone never came to our Village, but for those Devices to work/communicate their Warnings in a clear-cut manner is critical!!

Comment by Just The Way It Is One Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 6:13 pm
oh the days we use to practice “duck and cover” under the desk during “nuclear drills” now everybody is waiting for e-mail or social media confirmation to decide what to do !! shame

Comment by railrat Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 6:38 pm
Surprisingly, no one wonders how the Hard of Hearing or the Deaf handles situations like this. Hmmmmm…

Comment by Iamthepita Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 7:00 pm